Everything About You
by Aesthetic Butterfly
Summary: "If you love two people at the same time, choose the second one. Because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn't have fallen for the second." - Johnny Depp. JB/OC DISCONTINUED.
1. It All Begins

**Please read the information at the bottom! You guys rock! **

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer obviously owns the Twilight series. I would have written the ending (and many other things) much differently if I had been the one to write them. Also, the lyrics which will be present at the beginning of each chapter are credited to the lovely Beyonce (song title: End of Time).**

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><p><span>Chapter One; It All Begins<span>

_Come take my hand,  
>I won't let you go.<br>I'll be your friend,  
>I will love you so, deeply.<br>I will be the one to kiss you at night.  
>I will love you until the end of time.<em>

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><p>The clock on the computer screen was broken. I was sure of it. It hadn't moved in hours. I had been standing here the whole time, elbows leaning on the metal counter-top, just waiting for the minute to change.<p>

"Amy!" I shouted over my shoulder, pushing my brown bangs out of my eyes. "Amy, the clock is definitely broken – it's way past one thirty-seven, isn't it?" A short woman of about twenty-six, with bobbed black hair and bright blue eyes looked over at me from a table filled with half-folded t-shirts. She took her Blackberry out of her blue sweater pocket and looked at it.

"It's still one thirty-seven, Cassie. Maybe if you did something to help clean up the store, the time would go by faster, huh?" She winked at me and returned to folding t-shirts. The joys of working in a clothing store: there's always something to tidy up. I groaned, but moved around the counter toward the men's side of the store. The jean's could usually use some fixing up. The bunks never stayed tidy for long.

I sighed and placed my hands on my hips, staring at the bunk. It was in a complete disarray. I wheeled around and meandered back toward the cash desk, looking for the rolling table used to fold the jeans. I spotted it on the opposite side of the store, near the girl's jean bunk. I changed direction and headed toward it.

For some reason unknown, the store had been totally dead today. We'd had maybe ten sales, when our usual was up around thirty or forty. However, after everyone's used up their Christmas gift-cards I suspect there aren't many people who want to go out shopping. Therein lies our problem.

I rolled the table back to the men's jean bunk and began to pull down the skinny jeans that needed refolding. As I surveyed the damage I noted that I would probably work at this until the end of my shift and still not be finished. _At least it's something to do_.

Ten minutes into my religious folding I heard a short cough behind me. I whipped around, startled, and noticed an elderly woman smiling at me. I grinned back sheepishly. "Is there anything I can help you with, ma'am?" _Anything to get me out of folding!_

It turned out that the woman was looking for jeans for her grandson, who apparently went through them much too fast. She said she couldn't figure out how they kept getting ruined, but that he was in desperate need of pants, "otherwise he'll be going around naked in a few days!" I helped her out as best I could, since all she could really tell me was that he liked them loose and that he was at least 6'5" and 200 pounds. I did my best to hide my shock at this, since I think I would've noticed some guy that huge roaming around Forks.

"Yes, all the Quileute boys are growing at an alarming rate it seems!" _Ah, that explains why I haven't seen this guy, then. _I don't get down to the reservation much. "I was talking to Sue Clearwater the other day about her son, Seth..." I did my best to pay attention to the old woman, but I have a lot of experience with older women and I know they can talk for hours. I guided her toward the register and rang in her purchase (three pairs of pants – I was pleased with myself), all the while nodding and pretending like I had been paying attention to her the whole time.

Once the woman left, which took a lot more than I thought it would, I resumed my folding. Thankfully, I had noticed that I only had twenty minutes left on the clock. My shift would end at two thirty. As long as I kept at it, and didn't think about how close I was to freedom, I wouldn't even notice the time pass by. I glanced around the store, making sure that there wasn't a customer who had snuck in unnoticed. However, Amy was with the only customer, which gave me no reason to procrastinate any further. I yanked down another stack of jeans and got to work.

Amy was checking the store email once again, when she called out to me. "You've got three minutes until you're off Cassie, so finish up whatever you're doing and get out of here." I sighed in relief and finished the small stack of jeans I had piled onto the table. After I had placed them back on the shelf where they belonged I rushed over to the computer and watched as the seconds ticked by. When two thirty hit I punched out and hurried to the backroom, grabbing my jacket and my blue messenger bag.

I shouted a goodbye to Amy over my shoulder as I raced out of the store. I heard her laugh and shout back, but I wasn't paying much attention. I was focused on what was going to happen later in the day. I was focused on the half-hour long drive it would take me to get to the Quileute reservation. I was focused on seeing my second family.

My second family consists of Dan, my biological father; Tamra, his wife; and their two sons Luke and Cameron. I didn't get to spend as much time with them as I wished; Dan worked as a police officer five days out of the week and Tamra ran a daycare out of their home for all of the kids of the reserve. I usually worked or had school on the days they had off, making it very difficult to squeeze in bonding time.

My parents, Wendy and Blake Reid, adopted me as a newborn. I had never met my biological mother, but not for lack of trying. She doesn't want me, and she never did. Dan, on the other hand, had been ecstatic when I had contacted him. He was only eighteen when I was born, just a year older than I am now. I knew, without a doubt, that if I was in a situation like that I would've done the exact same thing. I don't blame them for giving me up, nor am I ashamed of them. I'm proud.

I burst out of the tiny mall, avoiding the few people trailing out. It was a clear day, one of the few in Forks. It made me grin even more foolishly. I located my little blue Hyundai Accent and jumped in. I jammed the key into the ignition and tried twice to start my car before it finally turned over. My car is my baby, and I love it dearly. Sometimes, however, I am prone to kicking it for not starting. I turned my music up, way up, and listened to it pound for a minute. When I had bought the car, I hadn't had the radio turned on. I was shocked when I plugged my iPod in for the first time – I'd had no idea what a "subwoofer" was until that moment. I had nearly jumped out of my skin, but now that I've grown accustomed to it, I doubt I could own a car without one.

I pulled out of the parking lot and began the journey to La Push, where my family awaited me. I grinned and stomped on the gas, determined to get there as quickly as I could without completely shattering the speed limit.

Every time I get into a car I can't help but to sing, and to sing badly. My music is usually turned up to eardrum-shattering loudness, and I belt it out as loud as I want. However, screaming at the top of my lungs to songs like "Shake Senora" by Pitbull and a bunch of other guys, normally leaves me hoarse. Thankfully, by the time I had started to feel like my throat was bleeding, I had arrived in La Push and was just a few miles from the one and only convenience store.

I pulled up to the small store and turned off the stereo, my ears ringing. _That's probably not a healthy thing... maybe I should consider turning the music down. _I immediately discarded that idea, fuck it. I like it loud.

I pulled the keys out of the ignition and shoved them into my jeans pocket, my purple lanyard hanging out. I grabbed my zebra striped wallet out of my bag, which was lying on the passenger's seat, and walked into the corner store intent on buying a bottle of water. A big bottle of water.

Upon entering the small store the first thing I noticed was the deer head glaring down at me from behind the cash register, underneath of which sat a small wizened man, who looked as though he was sleeping. I blinked at the deer head for a moment before I tore my eyes off Bambi and began my hunt (excuse my pun) for water. Living in a town like Forks, you'd think that I would be used to seeing the heads of random animals mounted on walls. Sadly, no.

I headed to my left, looking for some kind of refrigeration device that the water would be kept in. I peered up and down the isles, and only when I came to the third one did I notice that there were other patrons in the store. The small group of boys appeared to be arguing with each other about some food item that the shortest was holding.

They were, for lack of a better term, gorgeous. They couldn't have been much older than me, but they all topped six feet. I would wager to guess that they were six foot five, or taller. My mind flashed back to the older woman I had helped out at work, and I wondered if one of these massive boys was her grandson. They all bore the same tattoo on their right shoulder, some kind of tribal design, and they all had short black hair. The shortest boy had buzzed hair, while the other two had theirs a little longer. They all had obviously been working out, or something, because their arms were bigger around than my thighs. They had that beautiful shade of skin that most of the people on the reserve had: a nice, golden brown color. Much to my chagrin, I hadn't inherited that trait from Dan.

Despite their beauty, there was something about them that made me very cautious to approach them. I sucked in my breath. The water cooler _would _have to be in this isle. I ground my teeth, and started to purposefully walk toward the boys. I had dealt with boys before. Not of this caliber, but boys none the less. I kept my eyes averted and instead concentrated on the water. I wasn't sure what exactly had put me on edge – possibly the fact that they could all easily crush me the same way I would crush a wayward spider – but I certainly wasn't going to be lingering in this store any longer than was needed.

The water cooler stood only a few feet from the boys, who had ceased arguing and had begun to pull seemingly random items off the shelf. Thankful that they were distracted, I yanked on the cooler door. It didn't budge. I let out an irritated noise and tried again, with no better results. It was then that I noticed the boys had stopped talking. I hesitantly looked up, hoping that they had just moved on to another isle. Of course, fate would have them stare at me instead.

"Do you need help with that?" One of the taller boys grinned at me playfully. I scowled, and resumed yanking futilely on the handle without a word. An arm snaked into my field of vision and I instantly backpedalled. One of the boys with hair flopping in his eyes had taken it upon himself to help the poor little weak girl. He yanked the door open with ease. I frowned even deeper.

"Thanks," I mumbled as I reached in and snatched two large bottles of Dasani water out, elbowing the door shut. I glanced up to see the boys still grinning at me. I ignored them and turned, stalking down the isle the way I came. One of them wolf-whistled at me, but I pretended as though I had gone deaf. _Idiots, they're just idiots. Ignore them._ As I was turning the corner at the end of the isle, still grumbling to myself, I ran into a very solid something – or rather, _someone_.

"Mmfph!" I grunted, backing up. "Sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention I guess." I smiled up at the boy whom I had run into, which was when I finally got a good look at him. The boys near the refrigerator had _nothing _on this guy. His hair was short, but it still flopped playfully over his forehead. He was definitely tall, immensely so, standing a good foot and a half over my modest five foot five. He was just as muscular as the other three boys, with the same russet skin tone. They could've been brothers. He was clad in a white wifebeater and jean cutoffs, similar to the other boys. It made me want to shiver – it was not warm enough for that kind of attire. I was cold in my skinny jeans and sweater.

Once I had appraised him – which took a little longer than I had anticipated – I locked eyes with him. His big brown eyes registered shock, recognition, sadness, hopelessness, and something else I couldn't place – fear? What would a guy like him be doing _scared _of me? My head was barely higher than his chest! I disregarded the thought and instead raised my eyebrows at him, waiting for some sort of response.

"I... I... Sorry," He mumbled, his eyes never leaving mine. It was like he was frozen to the spot. Wild emotions kept chasing themselves across his face – he was like an open book. I furrowed my brow a little and side-stepped him. _Okay... these Quileute boys are very strange... _I hurried toward the cash register and slammed the bottles down on the table, waking the man from his slumber. He glared up at me, muttered something that sounded distinctly like "rude young people" and grudgingly rang me in.

I paid the three dollars and twelve cents for the water, gathered the bottles up and made my way out of the store. I made it to my car without incident, popping open one bottle of water on the way and taking a long drought from it. I climbed into my car and, once I had quenched my thirst, slid the full bottle into my bag and set the half-empty one in the cup holder. I happened to look back toward the store, which was probably a mistake, and saw the boys leaving. They seemed to be having a very heated argument. I couldn't stop my eyes from straying to the boy I had walked headlong into. He seemed upset about something, and I almost wanted to find out why. I wanted him to smile.

I shook myself. _What the fuck Cassidy, get it together. Just because he's gorgeous doesn't mean you're in love or something stupid like that._ I pushed the key into the ignition and turned the car on. I glanced into my rearview mirror and noticed that the boy had stopped and was staring at me with... _longing_? No, that couldn't be it. I must be horrible at reading people.

I slammed the car into drive and pulled out of the store, desperate to get to Dan's house. _Who is that guy?_ I looked back at the store to see him still staring at my car. _What is up with this place?_ I shuddered and turned my music up again. _Just concentrate on driving. Maybe Dan can tell me if there's a bunch of guys on drugs running around..._

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><p><strong><span>Date:<span> January 17, 2012**

**Rating: T, mainly for the profanity. In future chapters there will be violence, and possibly sexual themes (you will be forewarned if I decide to do a lemon). If it gets too graphic I will fix the rating, but for now it's staying at T.**

**First off, the quote in my summary was made by the lovely Johnny Depp. He's a pretty deep fella, and he therefore gets all the credit he is due.**

**I have written so many Jacob fics, I don't even know where to begin. None of them have made it onto this site though, mostly because I didn't think they were worthy, or I just lost interest too early on. I'm currently working on the fourth chapter of this fic though, so hopefully I stick with it! Reviews would help greatly in keeping me writing! If I know you guys are interested, I'll be interested. Reviews are my motivation!**

**To be totally honest, I haven't read any of the Twilight books since Breaking Dawn came out (2009?). I actually gave them all away because I truly couldn't stand having them on my bookshelf. I feel that Jacob deserves so much more than Renesmee (what kind of name is that anyway!), and seriously don't even get me started on how impossible it is for her to exist (Edward has no heartbeat, therefore no blood flow... I'm sure you can insinuate the rest) and for Jacob to have imprinted on her. I get very mad.**

**That means, however, that I decided to write Jacob a different imprint, one that's at least human. Yay!**

**Since I have no idea what the Twilight Saga timeline is like anymore, I'm just kind of going on what I remember. This takes place before Bella and Edward's wedding, so in Eclipse - before Bella has graduated. I don't know what happens during this time period (aren't they attacked by those newborns?) but it doesn't matter because I doubt I will follow with the Twilight plot too much.**

**One last thing, I wrote this on my laptop, which doesn't have a very good Word Processor, so if there are many grammar errors or spelling errors let me know and I will fix them ASAP!**

_Thanks for reading guys! _


	2. The History of the Tribe

**Hey guys! I want to thank you all so much, so many people put this on their favourites/alerts! I'm honored! Special thanks to Leni, Joey, and EmmaMu who reviewed - you guys made my day! **

**So, I wanted to get this chapter out yesterday but I didn't get time to write or anything, it was so crazy. I had to stay at work for an extra hour, then my family and I went down to the city to see Jeff Dunham (!). I didn't get back until like one in the morning though, so I didn't get the chance to sit down and write. **

**I'm not really all that proud of this chapter to be honest, but I couldn't figure out any other way to make things work the way I want them to, so... here you go! Enjoy! Review, please! **

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><p><span>Chapter Two; The History of the Tribe<span>

_I'll be your baby,  
><em>_I promise not to let you go.  
><em>_Love you like crazy,  
><em>_say you'll never let me go.  
><em>_Say you'll never let me go,  
><em>_say-say you'll never let me go.  
><em>_Say you'll never let me go,  
><em>_say-say you'll never let me go._

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><p>It took me another ten minutes to make it to Dan's house. I pulled into the driveway of the small yellow one-story and heaved a huge sigh of relief. I hadn't been able to stop checking my rearview mirror to make sure the strange boys from the convenience store hadn't followed me. I admit, it was a little bit silly of me, but I had a really weird feeling about them.<p>

I pulled the keys out of the ignition and shoved them into my pocket. I climbed out of the car, leaving my bag on the passenger's seat, and walked up to the screen door. I rang the doorbell and waited, somewhat impatiently, while I heard the stampeding noise of two toddlers running toward the door. "I got it! I got it!" The boys were screaming, and I could picture them elbowing and clawing at each other, trying to reach the door first.

I grinned as I watched the wooden door open and two little faces appeared behind the screen. "Cassie's here! Cassie's here!" They pushed the screen door open a little forcefully, and I only just managed to back up out of the way before they smacked me with it. Luke and Cameron grabbed at my legs with their little arms, both screaming up at me, jumbling up their words so much that I couldn't even begin to understand what they were saying.

"Hey, hey calm down!" I laughed at them and leaned down to give them each a massive bear hug. I had always wished for siblings, and my wish had been granted in the form of these two crazy kids. "At least let me in!" I ushered the boys into the house, all the while they jabbered on about a game they had played while the other kids had been over.

I closed the door behind me and called out a greeting. Luke and Cameron both dashed out of the room, screaming that they were going to show me the paintings that they had finished this morning. Tamra came into the living room from the kitchen, which I could see from my vantage point in the room. "Hi Cassie, we're so glad you could make it today. The boys have been going on about you for days!" Tamra grinned and tossed the towel she had been holding over her shoulder.

Tamra was probably one of the most amazing people I had ever met. She had welcomed me into her home without question – me, the daughter of some other woman. When I had met her for the first time, I had been expecting a scary forty-something woman glaring at me with a large knife in hand. I had been very wrong; for starters Tamra is only thirty-four, the same age as Dan, her hair was not grey as I figured it would be, but a lovely chocolate-brown color. Her eyes were bright green, and her skin was like shining copper. I had been so unbelievably jealous of her good-looks.

I grinned at her, "Hey Tam, I've missed you guys so much."

Tamra gave me a warm smile. "I'm just making some supper now, do you like lasagne?"

I nodded just as Dan came into the room, entering from the hallway off to the right of the kitchen. "I thought I heard you, Cass." Dan's easy smile graced his strong Quileute features. His hair, which his sons had inherited, was charcoal black. I had inherited his eyes though, they were a bright, clear blue that sparkled when he laughed.

"Hey Dan," I smiled cheerfully. "What's up today?" I asked as we both followed Tamra into the spacious kitchen that also served as the dining room. I immediately noticed the delicious aroma emanating from the stove. My mouth watered and I could feel my stomach start to growl. "That smells delicious by the way, Tam."

Tamra smiled in delight, "thanks Cassie, it's my mother's recipe so I hope you like it... she was a little bit_ different_ with her cooking." Tamra laughed lightly as she opened the stove to check on the pasta.

"It's delicious, don't worry," Dan informed me with a smile. "About what's up tonight, I was actually wondering if you wanted to go to a bonfire with me tonight. Tamra's staying behind with the boys, they're a little too young to stay out as late as it goes. It's not supposed to start for a little while. I think it would be good if you became familiar with your roots. Billy Black always tells the Quileute legends. What do you think?" He looked at me eagerly. Dan was always trying to get me acquainted with the Quileute traditions and the like. He didn't practice them as his parents had, but he thought they were still a good thing to pass down. I felt honored that he wanted me to take part in something that seemed like it was strictly for the reserve's families.

_You are part of one of the reserve families. You need to get used to that._ I smiled warmly at the thought. _But a bonfire? It sounds kind of stupid, like something that the young kids would get hyped up about. Nobody my age will be there, that's for sure._ I surveyed Dan's face thoughtfully; _he really wants me to go though... eh, why not? No harm in going and listen to some old guys tell stories._

"I would love to, Dan. Thanks for inviting me." Tamra smiled at me from the stove and nodded in approval, while Dan grinned. I swear he's still a kid deep down. "What kind of stories will Mr. Black be telling?"

Dan chuckled, "they're _legends_ not stories hon, and they're mostly just about how our people came to be, things like that." I nodded thoughtfully, _creation stories I guess then. That shouldn't be too boring._

Luke and Cameron came speeding into the room at that moment, both of them clutching pieces of construction paper. "Look Cass, look! I painted a tiger!" I was busy from that moment onward looking through the boys' paintings until supper was ready, when I herded the boys to the bathroom to wash their hands before eating.

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><p>The sun was just getting ready to set while I helped Tamra clean up after supper. Dan was trying to get the boys ready for bed, but they were very opposed to going to sleep while I was still there. Finally, Dan gave up and let them sit at the table and talk to me and Tamra while we finished up the dishes.<p>

"Alright boys, it's time for bed now, no arguments!" Tamra commanded once the last dish had been put in its proper place. She and Dan followed their children out of the kitchen, going into Luke's room first to say goodnight. I hovered in the living room, my short leather boots already on. I was getting nervous now. I hadn't met many people from the reserve. I didn't know how they were going to react to me; would they feel like I shouldn't be present, since I didn't live on the reserve anyway? _Maybe I should just go. I could say I'm feeling sick or something. Ahh, but what if Tamra thinks the lasagne made me sick?_ I was just trying to devise a foolproof plan to get out of going when Dan appeared, a leather jacket on.

"Ready?" He questioned with a huge smile. "I'm so excited to introduce you to everyone, they're all dying to meet you." He seemed so enthusiastic that all thoughts of fleeing died a slow, painful death inside me. I gave him a weak smile. "Don't worry, they'll love you."

Dan chucked on his sneakers. We called out goodbye's to Tamra, and he preceded me out the door. "We're taking my car, yours is _way_ too loud for my ears." I laughed, but didn't disagree as I followed him to his silver Chevrolet Equinox and climbed into the passenger's seat. "I don't understand how you haven't gone deaf yet, to be completely honest with you. You should consider turning it down." He teased me, just like any father would do to his daughter. Like my dad did to me all the time.

"I like it just the way it is, thank you very much!" I laughed. "So where is this bonfire at, anyway?"

"It's on First Beach, you must've been there before." I nodded, my parents had taken me there when I was younger. It was where I had learned how to swim. "Good, it's only a five minute drive from here." _A bonfire on the beach... how cute. _Dan reached over to the stereo and turned on a country station. "You don't mind, do you? I know you listen to music a lot different to this... well, if you'd even call it music." He frowned. "There's not even any singing involved in it! It's more like a bunch of noise and someone talking over it..." It was my turn to frown.

"Funny," I grumbled. "I happen to think that _this_ is shit. My music has a beat, a _dancing_ beat, I'm sure you'd know nothing about that though." We fell into the banter easily, it was almost like we had never been separated. I already felt like I had known his little family for my whole life. I grinned at Dan lazily, before turning back and looking out my window.

"Yeah, sure. What's that weird girl's name? Nicole or something...?"

"It's Nicki, Nicki Minaj, Dan!"

"Yeah, that one. You think she's good? Have you ever heard of Shania Twain? Now _she_ can sing..."

We continued on about music choices until we got to the beach, at which time I had been laughing so hard my sides were aching. I hadn't even noticed we had arrived until Dan announced it. I regained my composure slowly and unbuckled my seatbelt, looking out the windshield toward the beach. I could see a flickering firelight in the fading sunlight, as well as plenty of people. Some were sitting around the fire, others were in the water, and a group of suspiciously familiar boys were bunched in a knot near a table laden down with various kinds of food.

_Oh God, I have to leave._ Dan looked at my face and put a hand on my shoulder. "I know it looks daunting, but it'll be fine. You'll have a ball, there are plenty of kids down there who are your age." _That's what I'm afraid of. _"Come on, you'll never know if you don't go for it." Dan got out of the SUV and closed the door. I watched as he began the trek down to the beach. He stopped halfway down the decline and looked up at me. I huffed and grudgingly got out of the SUV. _Just go for it._ I repeated that line over and over in my head as I followed Dan down to the beach.

I could hear music playing from a stereo placed discreetly underneath the table loaded with food. The boys were all bobbing their heads to the beat, a few of them were singing rather off-key. I scurried after Dan, unwilling to go and make friends with the creepy guys I had met earlier. Dan was heading toward a group of adults all sitting around the roaring fire, one of which was in a wheelchair.

Dan got the attention of the group and grabbed my arm, pulling me into the light of the fire. "I would like to introduce you all to my daughter," he smiled at me as he said this, reassuring me. I threw him a nervous smile back. I didn't look anything like a native was supposed to look like: my skin was way too pale, my hair was not a dark enough shade of brown, and I was diminutive and slim compared to how huge everyone here seemed to be. Would they accept me? The worry again wiggled its way into my brain. "This is Cassidy." The adults all smiled at me warmly, which is when I noticed that two of them weren't much older than me.

Dan began to introduce me to everyone, "this is Billy Black, he's one of the tribe's elders." He indicated the man in the wheelchair. "This is Sue Clearwater, and Quil Ateara senior, they're also some of the tribe's elders." He indicated a tough-looking woman and an older man. He then gestured to the two younger people; one was an extremely large man – the largest I had ever seen, excluding maybe the boy I had _literally_ run into at the store. The woman sitting beside him was beautiful, or at least she was until she turned her head, and I saw that the right side of her face was marred with clawing scars. It took all I had in me to stop from gaping at her mutilation. The scars tugged at her eye and the corner of her mouth, setting it in a perpetual frown. "This here is Sam Uley and his fiancèe Emily Young." Emily smiled at me, a kind of smile that could light up the whole room, and I realized that no matter how scarred she was, she would always be beautiful. I smiled back, shifting my weight a little from foot to foot. I was surprised that everyone seemed perfectly fine with me being here, happy even. Dan sat down on Billy's right and indicated I could sit beside him. I shook my head; standing was much preferable at the moment. It would be easier to make a quick getaway if needed.

"I've been waiting to meet you ever since you and Dan first met." Billy Black smiled at me, "it's about time your father brought you out here to meet us, and to teach you the lore of our people." He grinned at me, but I wasn't really paying much attention. _Father... I guess that's what Dan is, isn't it? He is my father... as weird as it seems to call him that._ "There are a lot more people for you to meet." Billy's smile widened, "you're going to have to meet all the boys!" Billy gave Sam a knowing look, and Sam hollered over his shoulder.

Instantly, it seemed, there were nine people standing beside him, eight of them were boys and one was a girl, not much older than myself. I blinked, wondering how they had materialized so fast. _That __was fucking weird._ I was surveying the group when I recognized four of the people who had congregated to greet me. _Oh Jesus fucking Christ, really?_ The boy who had helped me open the fridge smiled wolfishly at me and winked, I could feel my face heating up. _Holy shit, I have to leave! _I snapped my attention back to Sam when I realized he had begun the introductions.

"This is Paul Lahote," Sam was indicating one of the boys whom I had seen in the convenience store, he had a hawk-like nose and a perpetual scowl on his face. Paul didn't make any indication that he actually had heard Sam. "This is Jared Cameron," Sam introduced the next boy, this one I hadn't met before. He smiled at me, and I smiled back tentatively. I didn't know how I was going to keep all their names straight; they all looked the same. A pretty girl had ventured over and was standing beside the one named Jared. Sam seemed to notice her, and introduced her. "This is Kim Roue, she's Jared's girlfriend." Jared laid a protective arm around her shoulders. She smiled at me slowly; her hair was shorter than mine, and her eyes were a deep brown. I could see myself making friends with her, at least.

"This one's Embry Call," ah, the boy who had opened the fridge for me. _Embry_, that's a pretty different name. I don't think I've ever heard it before. Embry grinned, seeming very happy to finally be properly introduced. "Seth and Leah Clearwater are Sue's kids," the remaining of the two girls to be introduced was indicated here, along with her younger brother. Leah looked like a complete bitch; she gave me a once-over before rolling her eyes and looking away as though she wished to be anywhere but here. _By all means leave, nobody's keeping you here._ I looked away from her, and instead looked at her brother, who was grinning ear-to-ear and waving cheerfully. I smiled at him, he had been the most welcoming of all of the teens so far.

Sam once again grabbed my attention as he started talking again, "Quil Ateara is Old Quil's grandson," he introduced the last of the three boys I had initially seen at the store, this one was the shortest of the three, with the buzzed hair. He nodded, but his eyes had drifted away from the bonfire and were resting on a little girl who had toddled over to the fire. She could only have been two years old. Emily was leaning toward her, talking to her in a quiet voice. "These two hiding over here are Brady Fuller and Collin Littlesea." Sam continued as he gestured at the two youngest boys of the group, they could have only been thirteen. _What are kids that young doing with teens my age?_ I frowned a little at the thought.

"Last but certainly not least," Sam continued. _Jesus, there's more?_ "This is Jacob Black, Billy's son." My eyes roamed over the last boy, the gorgeous sun-god I had almost plowed over in the store. _How had I possibly forgotten about him?_ Our eyes met once again, and I felt an odd sensation settle somewhere around my chest. He smiled at me slowly, raising one hand to muss his hair. _Jacob Black..._ I felt myself smiling at him, a strange feeling blossoming inside me. I abruptly turned my head away, _Jesus! Stop it! What has gotten into me?_ I stubbornly refused to look at him again.

"It's nice to meet you all." I said, surveying the group with a smile, making sure to keep my eyes averted from Jacob's sad brown ones.

"I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of you." Embry grinned at me, and I furrowed my brow. _What's that supposed to mean, I wonder?_ Sam dismissed the boys (and girls), but most of them hung around. Leah turned and stalked off toward the ocean, Brady and Collin also set off in a different direction. Paul sat down near Sam, a plate piled high with food clutched in his hand, which I hadn't noticed before. Actually, all of the boys were holding plates overflowing with food. _Odd for me to overlook something like that... then again, I was kind of focused on their faces and not making a complete fool of myself._

Kim and Jared strolled closer to me, the youngest boy left following them. I thought his name might be Seth, but I had mostly forgotten what all of their names were already. Embry and Jacob kept their distance, though Jacob kept throwing me looks of – what, desperation? _God dammit, stop looking! _I flicked my gaze at the three people now standing before me. I allowed a small smile to form on my lips.

"Hey, it's really great to finally meet you, we were just ta-" Kim was cut off by Jared squeezing her shoulder. "I mean... we were just wondering when we would get to meet you. Dan's been saying that he's going to bring you out for a long time." She smiled widely, and I was sure she was trying to make-up for admitting that they had been talking about me.

"Um, yeah well... it's nice to finally meet everyone." I ended up saying lamely, unable to think of anything else. "I don't get out to see Dan very often so there's never really been a time to do a meet and greet, you know?" I laughed awkwardly, wishing to just bolt to Dan's SUV and hide for the rest of the night.

Kim smiled and opened her mouth to say more, but she was cut off by Seth. "Yeah! I've been waiting to meet you! I mean, since Jake -" This time Jared actually leaned across Kim and punched the poor kid in the arm. "Ow! Hey, what was ... oh, right, my bad." The boy grinned awkwardly. "Well, anyway, come and have some food! My mom and Emily made it, it's really good!" He had to be the most hyper person I had ever had the good grace to meet. "How old are you anyway? Seventeen? You look seventeen." I couldn't help but grin at his behaviour. He was bouncing with untold amounts of energy.

"Yeah, I am seventeen, and you are how old?"

"I knew it!" The boy crowed. "I'm sixteen, just turned actually. I've been wanting to get my license but mom says I need to calm down a bit, otherwise I'd probably just get in a bunch of accidents. Anyway, I can just run wherever I want too, right?" Jared sighed and rolled his eyes, like Seth was saying too much.

"Uh, right, sure." I was capable of handling people my age, people older, and little kids, but this was the first time I had encountered a sixteen-year-old like him. I looked about, seeing that Quil was now kneeling in front of the little girl I had seen by the fire earlier. He looked utterly content, as did the little girl who was smiling away. I couldn't help wondering if she was his daughter. "What do you guys do for fun around here anyway? Have... bonfires?" I asked, casting about for a topic while sneaking a look over Seth's shoulder at Jacob and his friend. I was surprised to see him staring right back. I ground my teeth and averted my eyes. _Fuck off! What was the point in looking anyway?_

"We go cliff diving." Jared answered. _Yeah, right._ "We do it right over there, actually." He indicating a cliff a few miles down the pebbly beach.

"Are you kidding?" My jaw practically unhinged itself as it fell to the ground. "You jump from _cliffs_ for _fun_?" Jared and Seth beamed, while Kim rolled her eyes.

"Anything for a bit of excitement, I guess. There isn't much else to do except hang out at Sam and Emily's place." Kim explained. "I mean, there's not a whole lot to do in Forks either, is there?" I shrugged, agreeing internally that Forks and La Push had to be two of the most boring places to live, ever.

"I mostly just go to school and go to work." I looked around again, drinking in the sights. I noticed that Dan had fallen easily into conversation with the rest of the adults. He looked up and smiled at me, seeming totally at ease. I envied him for it, though he had grown up with all of these people I suppose. "Are you guys all still in school?"

"Yes," Kim answered. "We all go to the same school, it's not very big, but there aren't really many kids around here anyway. The school goes from kindergarten to senior year." My eyebrows flew up. _Wow, that would suck._

I was just casting about for yet another topic when Kim and Jared locked eyes. Kim blushed bright red, turning back to look at me. "W-well, we're going to go for a walk, I think. We'll see you later, Cassidy." Kim smiled at me awkwardly and allowed Jared to pull her away from the bonfire, down toward the water.

That left me standing alone with Seth. _God, why? Why are you punishing me?_ I sighed and settled my gaze on the boy, who was still bouncing with excitement. He was identical to all the other boys, except smaller. His height and muscle mass were definitely not as profound as the rest of the gang's, but he was still large for being sixteen.

"Want to go get some food? I'm starving!" Seth smiled at me, and gestured to the table.

"I just ate, actually. You go ahead, I doubt I'm going anywhere." Seth nodded and rushed off. I sighed and examined my surroundings. I was contemplating either walking down to the water or just sitting with Dan when a rather large shadow loomed over me. I turned slowly to see Jacob standing there. _Can these people not leave me in peace?_

Jacob was just opening his mouth when Billy interrupted him by calling out to the people assembled. "Come on in everyone, it's time to start." I bolted before Jacob could say whatever it was he wanted to and took up a seat to the right of Dan. I determinedly stared into the fire, intent on not looking at anyone until it was time to leave. _Why am I so bothered by him, anyway?_ I asked myself. _I have never been this way around a boy before. I'm not one to go running when some hottie tries to talk to me._ Yet, I couldn't help but think something was different about Jacob, that if I started talking to him, if I let him in, he would never leave. The thought unsettled me. I was not used to people staying in my life, least of all the people my age and of the male gender.

I shook my head and concentrated on listening to Billy's words. _There is no use in dwelling on the past, nor on people who are not worth your time_. My mother's wise words drifted through my mind and I felt myself relax. _I can't let him destroy my trust in other people. He was one person. One incredibly stupid person._

Once I started paying attention to Billy's story, I felt myself enjoying it. It was about Taha Aki, a peaceful tribe-leader who had been betrayed by a man, Utlapa, who had been banished. Taha Aki had managed to join his spirit with a wolf to get his own body back from Utlapa, and he became the first in a long line of protectors dedicated to defending the Quileute people. _Werewolves that don't age,_ I thought to myself as I mused about the story. _What an interesting legend, I've never heard one quite like that._ There was applause as Billy finished telling the story, and then he began a new one.

This story was about the Cold One, which I realized was actually a vampire. _Werewolves and vampires?_ I couldn't help but feel incredulous._ The Quileute certainly have strange legends._ I looked up from the log I had been contemplating in the fire to see Jacob staring at me intensely. Our eyes locked, and I thought I might drown in the emotions displayed there. I pulled my gaze away, afraid I might get lost in his eyes and never find my way back out. _Everything I've seen and heard today has been strange. What is it about me that fascinates that guy so much?_

Once the story was complete, the people began to stir, rising from their seats and stretching. It was late now, the sky had turned black during the storytelling. I pulled my blackberry out of my sweater pocket to check the time, and noticed that I had three missed alerts. Two of them were calls from my parents, probably worried out of their minds, and the third was a text message from Lydia, my best friend. I ignored the message and instead checked the time. _Ah shit,_ the clock read eleven o'clock. _I __was supposed to be home half an hour ago! _I sprang up and yanked Dan up with me.

"I gotta go, mum and dad will be freaking out." Dan nodded and said goodbye to Billy and the rest of the people still seated around the fire. I raised my hand and smiled at them, turning to head toward the car. However, my way was impeded by a rather large body. "Excuse me," I said, trying to duck around the person.

"Hey, I just wanted to talk to you for a second." I stopped mid-stride. His voice was deep and rough, and I found myself willing him to keep talking. I slowly lifted my head, seeing Jacob's beautiful eyes boring into mine. "Are you from around here? I've been into Forks plenty of times but I've never seen you before." He seemed genuinely troubled about this.

"Yes, I am." I mumbled, looking away from him. I glanced up at the SUV longingly. "Listen, I really need to get going. Maybe I'll uh... see you around sometime." Before he could say another word, I dashed toward the SUV, where Dan was already waiting for me. _I definitely am not going to see him around any time soon if I have anything to say about it._

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><p><strong>*I'm not sure what Jared's surname is, Cameron or Thail, but I went with Cameron. If anyone knows for sure, please let me know! <strong>

**There you have it! The second chapter! I hope you enjoyed it, and once again, if there were grammar/spelling mistakes please let me know and I will fix it. Please review, constructive criticism welcome! **


	3. Unfortunate Coincidences

**I can't even thank you guys enough, you're all awesome! Thanks for the reviews, favourites, and alerts! You guys are my motivation :)**

**Note: In this chapter, we find out that Cassidy works at Bluenotes - it's a Canadian store, so I'm not sure if there are any in other countries. If you've never heard of it, it's fine. It's a clothing store. You can just pretend she works somewhere else, like American Eagle or something, okay?**

**Please review! It makes me want to write more! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Bluenotes franchise.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Three; Unfortunate Coincidences<strong>

_Take, you away, from here.  
>There's nothing between us but space,<br>and time.  
>I'll be your own little star that'll be shining you up,<br>or your own little universe making your girl._

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><p>I awoke to my annoying, buzzing alarm clock. I slammed it with the palm of my hand to shut it up, and groaned. <em>I hate school.<em> I sat up, looking at the time on the clock. Seven, right on the dot. I crawled out of bed, remembering the night before. Mum and dad had been in a state, worrying about me. I had to explain to them about the bonfire, and then they went on for ten solid minutes about how irresponsible both Dan and I were. I had tuned them out for most of it. My thoughts had been clouded with images of men turning into wolves and ripping apart sparkling, beautiful people.

_Such strange legends..._ I mused to myself once again as I strolled over to my closet. I pulled out a pair of skinny jeans and a blue and white striped long-sleeved v-neck top. January weather tended to be colder in this part of the world. I darted out of my warm room and into the bathroom. I showered and threw my hair up into a long braid.

I grabbed my backpack and cell phone out of my bedroom and headed down the stairs to the kitchen. Dad had left already, but mum was sitting at the table sipping coffee and reading the newspaper. I tossed my backpack onto the floor and poured myself some orange juice, which had been left on the table for me.

"What's on the schedule for today?" Mum asked without looking up from the paper. Her anger from the night before seemed to have faded, at least slightly. "Oh, and Lyd called – I think she wants a drive to school." I sighed and popped some bread into the toaster.

"She _always_ wants a drive, she hates taking the bus." I grumbled, leaning against the counter and waiting for my toast. "I don't work today, thankfully. I think Lydia was insinuating that she wanted to come over tonight though." Mum nodded, turning the page of her paper. "What about you?"

"I have to be at the hospital for ten, I'm working a double shift today so I won't be back until late." I frowned at her, she had been taking _a lot_ of doubles lately. Mum had been a doctor at the Forks hospital for many years, long before I had been born. She and dad didn't get me until they were in their thirties.

Truth be told, I had always wished I looked like mum. Her dirty-blonde hair shimmered when she moved, her green eyes lit up whenever dad came into the room. She was a little plump, but she blamed that on old age instead of on the brownies. We were complete opposites. People say I look like dad though; he has the same hair shade as me. That's where our similarities end, however, his eyes are a nice hazel color, and he's six feet tall. Though all of us have roughly the same skin color, I'm sure people can tell instantly that I'm adopted.

"Another double?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "That's how many this week now?" Mum laid down her paper and looked at me over her wire-rimmed glasses.

"Don't worry about me, sweetie. I can handle a few double shifts." I shook my head, but didn't reply. My toast popped and I grabbed it out of the toaster and bit into one of the pieces. I spread jam over the other one, and munched happily for a few minutes. Mum sighed and stood up. "I'm going to go take a shower, have a good day babe." She kissed my forehead and left the room.

I swallowed the rest of my toast and called Lydia on my cell phone. She answered on the second ring. "Hey," I said as I grabbed my backpack up off the floor and carried it into the front porch. "Did you call here asking for a drive, or did you just miss my voice?" Lydia scoffed on the other end of the phone.

"Don't get too arrogant – it's not appealing." She laughed. "Yeah, actually I would _love_ a drive, if you don't mind too terribly." I could hear her sarcasm. I rolled my eyes and dropped my backpack to the floor again.

"Whatever, you should be grateful that you've got such an awesome best friend or you'd be stuck taking the bus. Every day." I pulled the closet open and took out my windbreaker. "I'm leaving now, so you better be ready." I hung the phone up without waiting for her response and shrugged on my lilac jacket. I picked up my backpack and dug through one of the side pockets, extracting my package of gum. I popped a piece into my mouth and left the house.

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><p>The school day passed in a blur. One minute I was driving Lydia to school, listening to her yammer on about how Kirk had texted her for the first time since last week, the next I was sitting in Biology, taking down notes on photosynthesis. I nearly jumped out of my skin when the bell rang, signalling the end of the day. I hurried to finish the notes that Mr. Palmer was about to erase. Once I had copied it all down I threw my things haphazardly into my bag and jumped out of the chair. I joined the queue that was forming at the doorway and waited for freedom.<p>

Lydia was leaning against my locker, twirling her short blonde hair around her pointer finger. When she noticed me she pushed off the locker and waved, a cheerful smile plastered to her face. "Hey girly, how was bio?" She asked as I opened my locker up.

I shrugged, "it was bio, what do you think?"

Lydia nodded sympathetically. "I totally understand, that's why I refused to take it this year. My time is much better spent in Art class." I rolled my eyes at her. "Hey, it is. I'm an extremely creative person!"

"You took that class so you could ogle that Jasper Hale guy." I said, smirking at her. "You don't have a creative bone in your body." Lydia frowned at me.

"Whatever, at least it's better than bio." I had to agree with her on that one. I wouldn't have taken it if my parents weren't obsessed at making sure I had every course I could possibly need for college. I chucked my biology book into my locker and slammed the door shut.

I turned and faced Lydia, "let's get out of here. Are you coming back to my house with me?" She nodded, and we started to walk toward the parking lot. "Okay, but I am picking the movie this time. Whenever you pick it, it always ends up being incredibly stupid." I tugged on my lanyard, which was hanging out of my pocket.

"That's not true!" Lydia protested, a frown marring her cute features. "You're the one that always picks those dumb movies about things blowing up, or murders. You pick boy movies! I'm trying to bring the _girl_ out in you." I glared at her.

"I have plenty of _girl_ in me, and it shows through too! If I was a tom-boy do you think I'd be wearing a _purple_ jacket?"

"You never know..." Lydia replied mysteriously. "Anyway, there's this movie that I have been dying to see, it's called _Dear John_, I don't know if you've heard about it, but it's about this girl and this guy..." We stepped out into the weak light of the fading day and I surveyed the parking lot, noting how busy it was. _Great, this will be fun to get out of._ I turned my eyes toward the left, where my Hyundai was parked near the end of one of the rows. I was walking down the stairs, intent on getting to my car without getting run over, when I saw him.

"Holy shit,"

"I know, it sounds fantastic doesn't it?"

"What? No, not the movie you idiot." I hissed, as I stared at Jacob Black's hulking form. He looked like he was in deep conversation with some girl... a girl who looked strikingly familiar. That's when I saw someone I had totally not expected, Edward Cullen. He was marching toward the two with the speed of someone who could barely keep themselves from running.

"What, what are you looking at? Edward? I didn't think you were into him. He's really fucking hot though, eh?" Lydia craned her neck, trying to see what it was that had caught my eyes.

"No, no it's not Edward. It's the guy that Isabella girl is talking to. I met him last night on the reserve." Jacob tensed up when Edward arrived. Edward put an arm around Isabella's waist and kissed her head. "I wonder what's going on over there..." At that exact moment, Jacob turned his head and saw me. His eyes widened, stopping mid-sentence to gape at me.

"Oh _damn_ girl, he is fine!" Lydia squealed excitedly. "If you don't want him, I'll take him! That's way too much yummy to go to waste." I rolled my eyes and grabbed her arm, dragging her toward my car. "Hey, what's wrong?" She frowned at me. "He didn't try to, like, rape you or something did he? If he did, just say the word and his ass is grassed!" I couldn't help but laugh as I pictured pixie-like Lydia tackling the monster that was Jacob.

"No, he did _not_ try to rape me. I just get a weird vibe from him that's all. I don't quite know what it is, but I doubt it's anything good." I pulled my purple lanyard out of my pocket, keys swinging from my hand as I zig-zagged through the mass of cars. I could see my Hyundai, it was just a few spaces away. I quickened my pace, hell-bent on making it to my car without any awkward encounters.

"Hey Cassidy," the deep, rough voice that belonged to Jacob called. He was leaning against my little car, a smile on his face. I stopped short. Once again, the fates were against me._How the hell did he get here before me? Scratch that, how the fuck did he know this was my car?_ _Holy shit, maybe he's a stalker!_

"Oh, hi Jacob." I replied stiffly as these thoughts were circling through my head. I walked to the driver's side door and unlocked it.

"Who the fuck are you?" Lydia crossed her arms and stared at Jacob, trying to be intimidating. "You don't go to this school, what are you doing here?" The smile slide off Jacob's face, to be replaced with surprise, until he laughed, and loudly.

"I'm Jacob Black," he held out a hand toward Lydia, who took it with her eyebrows raised. "I met Cassidy last night, and I figured I should say hi." He grinned at me, and I had no clue how to respond. "It would have been rude of me not to stop and say something." I still had no idea what he expected me to say, so I said nothing.

"Lydia Smith," Lydia nodded at him, still playing tough.

Jacob shoved his hands into the pockets of his cut-offs. He was wearing a black t-shirt that should have been illegal. It showed off every sensual line of his perfect torso. _Oh Jesus, please, stop torturing me like this! _I raked my eyes over his body, trying to be as discreet as possible. When my eyes finally met his, it was only to find amusement dancing in his beautiful brown orbs. His eyes almost seemed to be teasing me, asking "do you like what you see?" I stubbornly frowned and averted my gaze to the ground. A much safer place for my eyes. _I need to stop running into him like this._

"So, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?" I grudgingly asked, tired of the silence that was permeating the air. It was better to make pointless chit-chat than to let Lydia have a go at him. Aside from that though, I was genuinely curious.

Jacob shrugged his massive shoulders, "I just had some stuff I had to sort out, that's all. I was kind of hoping I might run into you, too." I could feel heat crawling up my neck. _Why, why, why, why, why._ I risked a glance at Lydia, who did not look impressed. Her eyebrows were raised, almost disappearing into her bangs, as she glanced between the two of us.

I was about to open my mouth and probably say something stupid when Lydia cut across me, "_stuff_?" She asked in an incredulous tone. "You mean a drug deal or something? If you're a drug dealer you can back off right now, we've had too much of that shit in our lives already." Lydia swept past him and grabbed the car door handle. "I think we should go, Cassie."

I was staring at her with eyes so wide they surely were almost falling out of my head. Had she actually just asked if he was a drug dealer? Jacob looked just as stunned as I was. I recovered first thankfully, and hopped into the car. I started the car up, which only took one try this time, and I sped out of my parking space, leaving a flabbergast Jacob in the dust.

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><p>"Why, why the hell would you ask him if he was a drug dealer?" I hissed at Lydia as she popped the movie into the DVD player. We were in my bedroom, pajamas on, popcorn filling up two bucket-sized bowls. I was sitting cross-legged on my bed, frowning.<p>

"It was a genuine question. He said he had 'stuff to attend to' or whatever, and that almost _always_ means drugs." I snorted, as weird as Jacob might be, I could honestly say that he didn't strike me as a drug dealer. "Why does it matter anyway? It's not like you're interested in him." She shrugged and plopped down on the bed, grabbing a handful of popcorn, her blue eyes trained on the TV screen.

I huffed, blowing my side-bangs out of my face. _She's right... I'm not interested in him, so why does it matter?_ I shook my head, trying to rid it of images of Jacob. _I doubt we've got anything in common anyway..._ "Why do you think he was at school talking to Isabella?" I mused as the previews came on.

Lydia raised an eyebrow at me. "Uh, well if it wasn't a drug deal I'll make a wild stab in the dark and say that he's in love with her, just like every other boy in this town seems to be." Lydia glared at the wall, she was mostly jealous of the fact that this Isabella girl got the hottest boy in school, but it just pissed her off more that every other attractive bachelor was pining over her. I had to admit, when you're looking for a date, your self-esteem suffers a blow. "Though, I wouldn't put it past the Cullen's to be on drugs, you know. There's something really weird about them."

_If he's in love with her..._ I frowned, ignoring Lydia's last comment. Nothing was making sense. _Why do I even care? It doesn't make any difference to me. Nope, no difference at all. None. _I stoically pushed all remaining thoughts of the mysterious Jacob Black out of my mind. I was going to concentrate on this damn movie if it was the last thing I did.

We had decided to compromise on the movie choice. Instead of some sappy romance or a suspense, we got a horror. Suffice it to say, we were both regretting it once we got halfway through the movie. We were huddled at the top of my bed, pillows clutched to our chests. We were too horrified to move our eyes from the TV screen.

It was probably at the scariest part of the entire movie when I heard the crack. It was right outside my window, or underneath I should say. Lydia and I looked at each other, eyes wide. Lydia actually looked like she was about to start crying. I put up a finger to keep her from making any noise and inched off the bed. I crept to the window, careful to not make a sound. I peeked out through my purple curtain, but it was too dark to make out any shapes. I sat there, with my face peering out of the window for a good few minutes, but no other sound was made.

"It was just some kind of animal, probably." I whispered to Lydia, who nodded back. "Maybe we should turn off the movie?" Lydia nodded again, obviously to scared to utter a sound. I straightened up and drew the curtains back over my window. I turned off the movie and dashed back onto the bed. "We're never doing that again."

"Agreed," was Lydia's faint reply. "I'm going to bed, I'm going to pretend I didn't see that, and I am going to pray that I don't have nightmares." I crawled back under my covers, waiting as Lydia traipsed across the room and closed my bedroom door in her wake. She would sleep in the spare bedroom, just across the hall from my room. I inhaled deeply, snuggling down into my bed further and closed my eyes_,_ drifting into sleep.

My alarm woke me up at seven, like it did five days out of every week. I slammed my palm down on it, a routine that I doubted I would be able to break. I sat up and stretched, heaving a huge sigh. _Thank fuck it's Wednesday, only three days until the weekend. _I crawled out of the warmth of my blankets and inched over to my closet. _I work after school today, _I mused, _I should probably wear something decent_. I grabbed my black skinny jeans and a flowing cheetah-print t-shirt. _It better be warm today_.

I followed my normal routine, I showered, dried and straightened my hair, threw on some make-up, and ran downstairs for some breakfast. Lydia was sitting at the table, nursing a mug of coffee and bowl of cereal. I grinned at her, and poured myself some coffee.

"How did you sleep?"

She looked up at me, glaring. "Funny, you know I can't handle scary movies. God, what were we thinking?" She ran a hand through her blonde hair, wailing, "I couldn't even bring myself to do anything nice with my hair!" I had to laugh at her, the poor girl.

I poured myself a helping of cereal and sat down at the table with her. She pushed a note toward me, saying that it had been on the table when she had come downstairs. I read it over quickly, noting that dad had gone in to work early (again), and that mom would be home around four. I grabbed a pen and wrote a response, saying that I wouldn't be home until nine or nine-thirty, since that's when my shift at Bluenotes would be over.

"God dammit, I have to take the bus home don't I?" I grinned wolfishly at her. She frowned, "I hate that you have a job, you know."

"You shouldn't, it puts gas in my car and allows me to drive you to school."

"You're right," Lydia nodded, scooping a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. I smirked and downed the remainder of my coffee, scalding my tongue.

"We need to get going," I mentioned as I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall opposite me. I scooped the last few bites of cereal into my mouth, then got up and put my dishes into the sink. I looked back over to see Lydia pouting and staring at her empty cereal bowl.

"I don't want to go to school!"

"Suck it up, buttercup."

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><p>I arrived at work just on time, as was usual. Amy watched as I ran into the store, skidding to a halt at the desk. "I'm here!" I screeched, dropping my bag and clocking in. She raised her eyebrows at me and shook her head.<p>

"I knew it. You're retarded."

I frowned, "I am not, I'm just almost late." She rolled her eyes at me and told me to go and take my stuff out back. I grinned at her and obliged. Our staff room is exceedingly bare, it has a small desk and chair reserved for Christa, our manager, a bathroom, lockers, and pegs to hang our jackets from. I hung up my jacket and chucked my bag into my locker.

I emerged from the back room to find Amy standing exactly where I had left her. "Alright, so what are we doing tonight?"

"I don't know, but I'm off in half an hour so I'm just going to stand here." I stared at her for a minute, totally at a loss, before I shook my head at her. "Hey, I've been here since nine this morning."

I scoffed at her, "Yeah, I've been at school since nine this morning and I'm here until nine tonight, so fuck you." She grinned at me.

"Sucks to be you, I guess!"

I glared at her, "who am I working with tonight?"

"As far as I know you're in with Prue, but I don't think she'll be here until five." I frowned; I'd be here for an hour by myself; awesome. "There isn't much to do today anyway, we made our sales goal this morning... that's not saying that you should ignore customers or anything. There isn't any stock to do right now, so all I think you need to do is make sure the store stays clean. You two will have such a fun night!"

"You're actually the worst person I've ever met." Amy just smiled away, immune to my insult.

I sighed and surveyed the store; nothing really seemed out of place. I figured that Amy had probably been cleaning for most of the day. I decided that, instead of standing about, I'd look around and make sure there was absolutely nothing that needed cleaning. I started on the girl's side of the store and made my way slowly toward the front of the store, stopping occasionally to fix a pair of jeans or a shirt that needed to be refolded.

Amy called out a goodbye to me as I started on the guy's side. _I still have an hour to kill, and I'm almost done going through the whole store._ I waved goodbye and continued my inspection, meticulously roving through each stack of jeans and each row of sweaters.

_Jesus god damn fucking Christ._ I complained to myself as I dragged my feet to the cash desk. I had finished checking over the whole store, less than fifteen minutes after Amy had left. _Now what am I supposed to do?_ I planted my elbows on the metal desk and flopped my head down onto them. Not exactly professional, but who the hell was going to be coming in here at this time?

I decided that cleaning the counter would at least take up a few minutes. I grabbed the cleaner from the bathroom, along with paper towel, and began spraying the counter down. I wiped it clean, making sure to scrub at the parts where stickers had been stuck to it and left behind a sticky residue.

Sadly, that only took three minutes. I groaned, thinking about slamming my head down hard enough onto the metal counter to knock myself unconscious.

"Having a good night?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard his voice. His deep, rough, sexy – _scratch that –_ voice. "Jacob!" I yelped, turning to him with wide eyes. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"What, am I not allowed to come to the mall?" He grinned at me, his beautiful eyes dancing, never leaving mine. I couldn't help but feel slightly self-conscious whenever he looked at me. It was like he was looking through me, into me, at my very soul.

"Well, yeah, I mean... I just... fuck it, I don't know what I'm talking about." Jacob's laugh was infectious. It boomed and filled the whole room. I couldn't help myself, and I started giggling. We laughed together for a minute, and I couldn't help but feel as though Jacob and I could become pretty good friends. Even despite him being kind of weird and either a drug dealer, or in love with Isabella Swan. _I wonder why he really was at school today... maybe I could ask?_

"It seems pretty quiet in here. Is it always like this?" Jacob asked as he swept his eyes around the room before settling again on me.

"No... not usually. I think it's just the time of year." I answered, averting my eyes from his.

"How long have you worked here?" He asked, seeming genuinely curious. _Why does he care?_

"Uh, two years." I answered. "I started when I was almost sixteen."

"Cool," Jacob replied, his eyes still boring holes into my skull. _It's not cool... what the fuck kind of drugs is he on, anyway?_

"Uh, if you don't mind me asking... why do you care?"

Jacob laughed, shaking his head. "You're technically the new girl on the reserve – _everyone_ wants to get to know you. I'm just ahead of the game that's all. Plus, you're Dan's daughter. He's always been great. He was like my big brother when I was growing up." I looked up at his eyes, puzzled. _Really? He was there for you, but he wasn't there for his own daughter...?_ "He never told me about you. I didn't find out until a year or so ago. I couldn't believe he hadn't told me, you know? But... he had some pretty good reasons." Jacob's eyes clouded over for a minute, before he met my gaze again and they cleared. "He went through a lot of rough stuff when he was our age."

"Like what?" I asked, intrigued. Dan didn't talk much about himself, he liked to talk about me. He wanted to know everything, he wanted to feel as though he had been there my whole life.

"I don't think it's my place to tell you..." He trailed off, and disappointment filled me. Dan's own youth years had always been sort of a mystery to me, and here was a guy who knew about them. A guy that Dan had known for seventeen years. "I'm sorry, please don't be upset!" Jacob said anxiously, leaning toward me. I jumped and backpedalled.

"It's fine – he just doesn't talk to me about his childhood. I'm curious."

"Maybe you should ask him next time you're talking to him." He suggested, clearly trying to rectify the situation.

"Yeah, maybe I will." I mumbled, looking down at my suede boots.

Silence surrounded us for a few minutes. I looked everywhere but at him. There wasn't any good opening to ask him about why he had been at school the day before. I couldn't just come out and really say it, could I? _God, what is it with him? Why am I so scared to get close to him?_ My brain instantly went into flash-back mode. I squashed the memories rather forcefully, gripping the desk until my knuckles turned white. _No. He's not ruining everything. He's ruined enough. He took a whole year from me. He's not taking any more. I will move on. I don't care how long it takes, I don't care how much I have to hurt, I am going to get over him, and I am going to meet a great guy._ _I'm going to have the family I always dreamed of having. He's just not going to be a part of it anymore._

"I would really like to get to know you, Cassidy." Jacob said suddenly, shocking me from my thoughts. "I-if you want to... get to know me too, that is."

In a sudden flash of insanity, I nodded. "Yeah, I think I would like that." The minute the words left my mouth, I was horrified. _What am I doing? What is Ally going to say? What is Lydia going to say? Fuck, they're going to kill me. Or at least, never speak to me ever again._ Jacob's face glowed with pleasure, and I couldn't help but feel my horror fade, to be replaced with something else; anticipation?

"Really?" Jacob smiled broadly. "Great! So, uh, do you have a supper break or anything tonight?"

"Yeah..." I answered distractedly; I was still thinking of how much my two friends were going to hate me. "Uh, as soon as Prue gets here I'll be able to take one." I glanced at the clock on the computer screen. "She should be here any minute, actually."

"Perfect, we can get something to eat together – um, if you want too, I mean." I couldn't help but shake my head a little at his antics. _Jacob's sweet... It's been a year. They'll understand. They have too. I know Lydia is always acting like he didn't exist, like she wants me to go out and get back into the dating game. I know she's just acting. I know she's just putting on a brave face. I know what happens when there's nobody else around to judge her. _I closed my eyes, why did everything have to be so damn complicated?

"Yes," I said quietly. "I think that's an excellent idea."

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading lovelies! Please review! Constructive criticism welcomed! If you notice any grammarspelling mistakes, please feel free to tell me!**

**By the way, if anyone wants to recommend a Jacob/OC fic for me to read, I'd be eternally grateful! I need my Jacob fix and I can't seem to find a fic that I like! I don't care if you recommend your own or just your favourite, but please do! Thanks :)**


	4. Action and Reaction

**You guys are all the best! I just want to thank everyone who reviewed/alerted/favourited this story :D you make it so much easier to write, knowing that people are actually enjoying! Also, if you're looking for another good story to read I'd recommend 1sweetmoment's Jake story, it's awesome! (I haven't finished it yet, but I'm getting there! :D)**

****Disclaimer: I've changed the lyrics that are written at the start of each chapter, they will now be from the song One Thing by One Direction - seriously, LOOK IT UP. It's agalsdgjkbaglbk fantastic and they make my heart melt! Plus, this song totally sums up Jacob's feelings for Cassidy, so it's doubly perfect.**

**Please review! Your feedback is inspiration!**

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><p><span>Chapter Four; Action and Reaction<span>

_I've tried playing it cool,  
><em>_but when I'm looking at you,  
><em>_I can never be brave  
><em>_'cause you make my heart race._

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><p>Having supper with Jacob was a more pleasant experience than I had figured it would be. He had paid for my food, and I had rewarded him with a punch to his arm. I don't think he felt it, though I'm pretty sure my knuckles shattered. He had freaked out, especially when my hand started to turn purple. He thought I had ought to go to the hospital, but I shrugged it off. I could move my fingers, that was all that mattered.<p>

We had talked about everything and nothing. It was nice; I hadn't hung out with a boy for a very long time. It was especially refreshing when I noticed all of the girls staring at him and he paid them no heed. That was the best part, I think. It was a pretty good self-esteem boost.

He had offered to drive me home after my shift was over, which meant he would have had to wait for four hours for me to be done. I had been stunned, who would sit in the mall and wait for someone to get off work for that long? I refused him, telling him that I wouldn't be able to get to school in the morning if my car was stranded at the mall. He had then said he would drive me to school, and pick up my car while I was there.

Again, I was completely blown away. Doesn't he have school? Why would he want to do that anyway? Obviously he's on drugs. I politely declined him, or at least as politely as that can be done. He seemed dejected at the prospect, but he still wanted to take me to school in the morning. I had probably gaped at him like a fish, which might explain why he had laughed. He said he would pick me up too, but the catch was that I had to hang out with him afterwards. Without really thinking the whole thing through, I had agreed and given him my address.

_Jesus,_ I thought as I waited while Prue locked the store up. _What was I thinking? No. I wasn't thinking. At all. _I waited as she turned on the alarm system and ducked under the steel door that descended from the ceiling to lock the store. She inserted her key into the lock on the outside of the store and waited as the door finished its descent.

"So, who was the cute boy with you tonight?" Prue asked, tossing her blonde hair as she threw her keys back into her shiny purple purse. "He might be a little young, but he is _fine_." I laughed at her, shaking her my head.

"Yeah, a little young, he's seventeen." I grinned at her frown. "That's not even close to being legal, Prue." She frowned even deeper. "His name is Jacob, I only met him the other day."

"Well," she said briskly, "he's definitely into you. The way he looks at you..." She sighed, staring off into space. "I wish a guy would look at me like that... But, it can't be helped. He's out there somewhere, you mark my words!" The look of determination on her face was too cute. I shook my head, trying to hide the smile on my face.

"He's not_ into_ me, he's just being friendly, that's all."

"Yeah, tell me that again in a few months when you're engaged."

"Ew, don't even go there."

Prue and I laughed and walked out of the mall, shouting goodbyes as we parted ways and strolled toward our cars. I quickened my pace as Prue got into her Toyota, not enjoying being out this late at night. My car was parked at the opposite end of the parking lot, which I had not been pleased to do. The mall had been full when I arrived, but as soon as I got to Bluenotes it seemed as though everyone had left. _Typical_.

I scurried past the lighted streetlamps and arrived at my car, quickly shoving the key into the lock and opening my door. I scrambled in and slammed the door, breathing a sigh of relief._ I'm alive_. It's not like there's much to fear, being in such a small town, but ever since – I squashed my thoughts darkly. _I am not going there. Wilder is not the reason I am scared of the dark._

I started up my car, which took five heart-pounding minutes, and left the parking lot. I popped in my Marianas Trench CD and sang along to Josh Ramsay all the way home, which made me feel much more safe. I pulled into my driveway shortly after nine thirty, relief washing over me when I saw my dad's truck parked behind my mum's car. I hopped out of the car as the motion-detection light came on over the deck. I reached into my car and pulled out my bag, swinging it over my shoulder. I slammed the door closed and locked it. _You can't be too careful_.

The light on the deck flicked off, and I knew it would take a few seconds for it to turn back on. I began my trek up the drive to the door, when I heard a snap. I froze. _Oh God_. I slowly turned my head to the trees on the right, where the sound had emanated from. I squinted, but I wasn't able to see anything. I resumed my walk, this time somewhat faster, when the light flicked back on. My eyes instantly found the woods again, and my breath caught in my throat. _What..._

At the edge of the lawn stood the largest wolf I had ever seen. It was bigger than a bear, more like the size of a horse. Its fur was a deep russet color, and its brown eyes, such a familiar brown, screamed an intelligence that wolves weren't supposed to have. I swore, it –_ no, it's a he – _was trying to tell me something.

The breath _whooshed_ out of my lungs, because for some reason I felt as if I knew the beast. I slowly, carefully, lowered my bag to the ground, turning my body toward it. _I'm going crazy, I'm imagining it. Wolves can't get that big. They just can't._ The wolf lowered his huge head, eyes looking up at me, pleading with me. I took one hesitant step toward it, apparently losing all sense of self-preservation. The wolf's ears pricked up, as if he was hearing something that I couldn't. In an instant, he turned tail and fled into the forest. He was gone so quick, I wasn't sure if he had even been there in the first place.

The front door opened just as the light flicked off again, "Cassidy?" My mum called out, "what are you doing? It's freezing out here, come inside!" I took a deep breath, eyes still searching the forest that I could no longer see. _What the fuck just happened? _I turned and snatched my bag up off the ground, practically flying up the rest of the driveway and into the house. I dropped my bag in the entryway and kicked off my shoes. I shrugged off my jacket and hung it up before running into the kitchen, where mum was standing over the stove.

"Mum," I began, but she cut me off.

"I'm just heating up your supper now hon, it should be ready soon." She turned to look at me. "How many times have I told you to not leave your bag in the porch?" She must have noticed it wasn't on my person. "Go out and get it, then you can eat." She said it with such finality, I knew she wouldn't listen if I told her about my strange encounter until I had my bag in my hands.

I groaned and retreated into the entryway, grabbing my bag. I hurried back into the kitchen, "mum have you heard anything about abnormally large wolves roaming around?"

"What?" Mum turned abruptly and looked at me. "What are you talking about?"

"When I was outside just now, I swear I saw this _huge_ wolf..." The look on her face went from curiosity to horror in the blink of an eye. _Aw, shit. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm never going to be allowed out of the house again._

"Wolves, outside our house?" She shrieked, "Blake! Blake! There are _wolves_ outside! Quick, call the police! Call animal control! Call _someone_!" My dad came barrelling into the kitchen from his study, his wire-rimmed glasses askew.

"What, what's going on?" He asked, looking around for the source of mum's sceaming.

I groaned, "don't worry about it dad -"

"There are wolves outside!" Mum interrupted, on the verge of hysteria. The soup she had been warming for me had been abandoned on the stove. I darted around her and turned the burner off, saving my soup from burning. "Cassidy _saw_ them, they were right outside our very door. Who do we need to talk to? I am serious about this, it is not safe. She could have been eaten!" Mum had always been way too over-dramatic.

"It's fine dad, nothing happened, it ran away when I noticed it." Dad looked from me, perfectly calm, to mum, who was almost in tears.

"Don't worry, Wendy. I'll call tomorrow and complain to someone." Dad said gently, pulling mum into a hug. "Cassidy is fine, she's tougher than a wolf anyway." He winked at me over mum's shoulder and I grinned. I reached into the cupboard and grabbed a bowl, intent on spooning some soup into it so I could eat. I always ended up being hungry after work, no matter if I had supper or not. Though the suspicious appearance of the wolf had far from left my mind, I resolved myself to not mention it to mum again. _Maybe I can ask Jacob about it..._ I mused quietly to myself as I ladled soup into the bowl.

Dad guided mum to the living room and sat her down on the couch, where he settled her with a blanket. He turned the TV on and told her to relax, then he retreated to his office. I sat at the table and listened to the news while eating the soup mum had made for me. I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and checked it, seeing one new message that I hadn't noticed.

_From: Lydia Smith_

_girl, where r u? call me_

I sighed, not looking forward to the conversation we were about to have. I finished my soup, put my dishes in the dishwasher and cleaned up the remainder of the soup still on the stove. When everything was done, I scooped up my bag and dragged myself up the stairs and into my bedroom. It was the first door on the left.

I had moved from my old bedroom into this one when I was eleven. My room used to be across the hall, which now serves as the spare room where Lydia sleeps when she stays over. I had chosen to move my bedroom mainly because of the window, in what was then my mum's work-out room. It looked out of the front yard, and another looked out into the trees. The window facing the front yard was alined with the huge oak tree that used to have an old tire-swing tied around one of the strong branches.

I threw my bag into the corner and flopped down on my bed. I pulled my phone out again, steeled myself for the fight that was surely about to come, and dialed Lydia's number.

"Hey, finally!" Lydia answered cheerfully after only two rings. "How was work?"

"Uh, it wasn't too bad... how was your night?"

"It was great, actually. I talked to Kirk for a little while. He's such a sweetheart." I smiled lightly. Kirk and I had been really good friends last year, but considering what happened, we didn't talk much anymore. I'm surprised he talks to Lydia, to be honest.

"Awesome,"

"Yeah, so I was thinking. Tomorrow, after school, did you want to go into Port Angeles and see that movie, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo?" I hesitated, _well fuck, I have to tell her already_.

"Actually..." I sighed. "I've got plans for tomorrow night, and I can't drive you to school tomorrow either Lyd."

"With who? Ally? Don't worry, I already invited her!" Lydia laughed, clearly not picking up on the tone I was using.

"No... no, not with Ally."

"Who then?" Lydia asked, confusion evident in her voice.

"Remember Jacob? You met him this morning? He... he came in to work tonight, and we had supper... He's really great, you know Lyd, and totally not a drug dealer! He wanted to drive me to school tomorrow, and he wanted to hang out afterwards..."

The silence on the other end of the phone was all I needed to realize that it was worse than I thought. Lydia wasn't just mad, she was hurt too.

"You're... going on a date?"

"Not... not exactly, Lyd."

"Yes, it is a date." She snarled. "It's only been a _fucking year_ since Wilder -" Her voice broke. "He's only been gone for a year, how do you think he'd feel if he found out?"

"Wilder isn't coming back, Lydia. You're right, it's been a year. It's time to move on." I hissed, the anger that had been simmering underneath my skin all year boiled up. _How dare she!_ "He put us through a lot of shit, we... we should be happy he's not here anymore!"

"You bitch!" Lydia hollered; apparently her temper had been shortened just as mine had. Then again, Wilder was sure to be a touchy subject with the both of us. "How dare you... how could you... he _loved_ you!"

"No," I snapped. "You're wrong there, Lyd. He never loved me, if he did he wouldn't have left."

The dial tone was the only answer I received.

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><p>Waking up in the morning, I realized I probably could have handled my conversation with Lydia better. I rolled out of bed, shuffling to my closet without any energy. I knew I wouldn't be hearing from her from a while. <em>I probably won't hear from her until I stop seeing Jacob...<em> My anger boiled up again, and I ripped down a sweater and a pair of jeans from my closet. _She has absolutely no say in what I do! Wilder abandoned us, and she's acting like _I'm_ the one responsible! Well, she can go fuck herself. If he really loved me – _I snorted. _Wilder may have loved me in the beginning, like I loved him, but we both knew... we both knew it wasn't me that he really wanted. He may not have ever admitted it, but everyone knew it._

I stormed into the bathroom, getting ready without really paying attention. It wasn't until I realized I was trying to jam my sweater onto my leg when I let out a wordless exclamation of rage. I slammed my fist into the door, letting out another yell. _Lydia! You stupid bitch!_ As I stood there, breathing heavily as though I had just run a race, my anger slowly fading while the pain in my hand grew. I closed my eyes, fist still planted on the door.

_Why did you have to go Wilder?_

I managed to get all my clothes on properly once I calmed down, pulling my navy sweater on my torso instead of my legs. My faded jeans had put up a bit of a fight, and I had to wiggle into them. I grabbed a necklace out of my jewelry box without looking and put it on, looking in the mirror. A little owl hanging from a simple silver chain. Lydia had given it to me for my birthday. I decided to keep it on, my fight with Lydia be damned.

I plodded down the stairs, still burnt out from the rage a few moments before, and poured myself a bowl cereal. I was glad mum and dad were both already gone, I wouldn't have enjoyed answering mum's questions about why there was now a fist-sized dent in the bathroom door. I sat down at the table and idly stirred the cereal around. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sighed, zero messages. Then again, usually only Lydia ever texted me.

I was halfway through my cornflakes when the doorbell rang. I nearly jumped out of skin; I had totally forgotten Jacob was driving me to school. I sprang up and rushed to the door, opening it up to see Jacob dressed in a plain black t-shirt and jeans. My jaw nearly dropped – _how the hell can he wear that, it's freezing outside!_ I was shivering in my sweater.

"Hey, aren't you cold?" I asked, ushering him into the house. "You're only wearing a t-shirt!"

Jacob laughed, looking down at me. "No, I run pretty hot." _Oh, Jesus._ "Are you ready to go?"

"I'm actually still eating breakfast," I answered, feeling butterflies attack my stomach. _Not that I'll be able to finish it now, I guess._ I wondered why I got so nervous around him, aside from the fact that he was absolutely gorgeous, he was just a normal guy. A normal guy that I didn't know all too well, and who was standing in my house. _I really am fucking crazy._

I escorted him into my kitchen, gesturing to the empty chair across from my cereal bowl. I sat down and scooped up another spoonful, shoving it into my mouth before I could think about it. I swallowed it, feeling like I was chewing on cardboard. Jacob sat down slowly, surveying the room with a slight smile. I wanted to know what he was thinking, suddenly wishing that I'd had the forethought to clean up the place a little before he arrived.

"You've got a nice place," he grinned at me. I managed to smile back. _Oh God, this is going to be great. I can tell already._ I ate the rest of my cereal in silence as Jacob took in everything, from my own face, to the pictures covering the wall. I put my bowl into the dishwasher and glanced over at Jacob, who seemed completely at ease. He seemed like he belonged.

A soft smile formed onto my face, and Jacob's eyes found mine. In that second that our eyes met, I felt an inexplicable skip in my heartbeat. I broke our eye contact, averting my eyes to the floor. _I'm not ready for this. What if he actually wants to get to know me because he likes me, not just because I'm the new girl? Why am I leading him on? _I sucked in a breath and looked up again.

"I have to go brush my teeth, then I'll be ready... so, I'll be right back." I nodded my head and turned on my heel, heading upstairs without waiting for his reply. I brushed my teeth as fast as I dared, grabbed my bag from my bedroom and, heart pounding, I went back downstairs to see Jacob standing in the the small hall between the entryway, kitchen and living room. He was staring at a picture of me, Lydia, Ally, Wilder, and Kirk.

My breath caught, I tried with all my might to avoid looking at that picture every day. It reminded me of times much too painful for me to think about. Yet, no matter how many times I had tried taking it down, or asking mum to get rid of it, it remained. Mum said that it was how she liked to remember us; in the beginning when things hadn't been quite so screwed up. In the picture, we were all sprawled out on the front lawn. Wilder had his arms around me and Lydia, while Kirk was laying in front of us. Ally was sticking her tongue out from under Lydia's arm.

I could feel my throat constricting, wishing that nothing had changed, that I could go back to that day when we had all been so carefree and happy. Jacob turned to me, a look that I couldn't read on his face. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes and I looked down at the floor, hastily wiping at my eyes and hoping Jacob wouldn't notice. I regained my composure as quickly as I could, took a deep breath, and looked back up at Jacob.

He was in front of me in an instant, he didn't say anything. He didn't need to. He just wrapped his arms around me, engulfing me in the warmest, comfiest, sincerest hug I had ever experienced. I stiffened, not knowing exactly what it was I supposed to do. I took a deep breath, inhaling his pine scent. I felt my body relaxing, felt my head sinking into his chest, and all I could think was -

_I just want to stay here forever._

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><p><strong>Eep, I do honestly like this chapter, though I think it went a little fast. However, when you're writing, seven pages doesn't seem like things are going too fast.<strong>

**And so, Wilder has been introduced into the plotline! I actually hadn't meant for this chapter to end this way, I just threw the picture in on a whim. I hope you guys all liked it, and I would love to hear from you on how you think it was!**

**Please review! It makes me want to write faster! And don't forget to listen to that One Direction song ;) they're my new favourites. Thanks for reading lovelies!**


	5. Acceptance

**You guys are super fantastic! Thank you so much for all of the reviews/favourites/alerts! It makes inspiration come so easily! Please, keep the reviews coming!**

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><p><span>Chapter Five: Acceptance<span>

_Shot me out of the sky,  
><em>_you're my kryptonite.  
><em>_You keep making me weak,  
><em>_yeah, frozen and can't breathe._

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><p>I surveyed Jacob's red Volkswagen Rabbit with a critical eye. I raised my eyebrows at him, more doubtful that his car would run than mine. "Are you sure that thing is going to start?" I asked as I followed him toward it, more to guide the conversation away from the incident in the house than to alleviate my concern. He turned and grinned, opening the passenger door for me.<p>

"It'll run better than your noisy piece of shit." I frowned at him, but climbed in. He shut the door behind me and rounded the car faster than I thought was possible for a guy his size. "I rebuilt this car, thanks." He said as he slid in beside me. "It was my project for a little while; cars are my thing."

"So you could fix mine?" I asked eagerly, nearly jumping out of my seat in excitement. "God, there's probably so much wrong with it... I seriously should just invest in a new one, it would probably be cheaper."

Jacob laughed, turning his car on and throwing it into gear. _He drives a standard? Now that's hot._ "Yeah, if you need it I could definitely fix it up for you. Don't worry about the cost, I wouldn't charge you." He backed out of the driveway like a pro, much better than I ever could have hoped for. "You should bring it up to my place sometime, I can take a look and see what it needs done."

"I would be eternally in your debt." I agreed, watching as Jacob fiddled with the radio. _This thing doesn't even have a CD player. _I waited to see what kind of music he'd pick, wondering if we had the same taste.

Jacob grinned at me before resuming his search for a clear station. "What kind of music do you like?"

"Uh," I glanced away as Jacob looked up. He definitely knew I had been staring. I watched out the window as the trees slid by, and my mind flashed back to the wolf in my yard last night."I like a little bit of everything, to be honest. Though, my favourite is definitely hip-hop, or pop, or whatever you want to call it. I like dance music." I tore my gaze from the trees to look back at Jacob, who had his eyes on the road this time. _Maybe I should ask him if he's heard anything about giant wolves..._

"You pick the station then, I don't care what we listen to, as long as you like it." I'm sure I blushed a million different colors, and I was thankful that Jacob was still focused on the road. I fumbled with the dials for a minute before I found a decent station that was playing "Woohoo" by Christina Aguilera and Nicki Minaj.

I bobbed my head along to the beat, determined to keep my mouth shut and not start rapping in front of the hot boy I had only just met a few days ago. I didn't want to scare him off. I glanced over at him, and he was looked right back at me, raising his eyebrows.

"Really? Have you ever actually_ listened_ to this song?"

I burst into a fit of giggles, because I had, indeed, listened to the lyrics. "Yes, I have actually. I like it because I can get _down_ to it!" I laughed again, shaking my head at him. "It's all about the beat, Jacob."

He joined me in my laughter, "yeah if you say so. But what about bands like Mayday Parade and Jack's Mannequin? Ever heard of them?"

I nodded, "of course I have. They're great, but I haven't listened to them in a few years." I took in a deep breath. "I listened to them when I was... younger, I outgrew that phase. I'm in the hip-hop phase now." I grinned at him as he shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't think I will ever out grow them. I like mellow music, this is just a little too..." He searched for the word for a second. "Bubbly, I think, for me." He laughed, "not that it's terrible or anything, I just prefer softer music."

"Boring!" I chimed as Jessie J.'s "Domino" came on to the radio. "You can't dance to their music, or at least, you can't dance the way I like to dance to it."

"You don't need to dance to music to enjoy it." He replied, his eyes meeting mine. The now-familiar swooping feeling I felt in my chest rose up, and I could read his happiness in his eyes. _Happiness at what, though?_ We stared at each other for another second, then he broke away and looked swiftly at the road. The sensation disappeared, and it left me feeling surprisingly empty.

The plain brick buildings of my school appeared much to quickly. I had found myself enjoying our time together; our conversations just seemed to flow so easily. I had studiously avoided talking about what had happened in the house, even though it had seemed at times like Jacob was on the brink of mentioning it. I wasn't even close to being ready to have _that_ kind of discussion with someone I barely knew. However, we hadn't broached the wolf topic either.

Jacob pulled the Rabbit up to the main building of the school, and I frowned. I really, really didn't want to go in there. Who knew what was going to happen if I saw Lydia? What if we had a shouting match in the hallway? What if she just acted as though I didn't exist? I'm not sure I was going to be good at this whole "fighting" thing.

I pulled my bag up from the floor and put my hand on the door handle. I looked at Jacob, who was already watching me with his big brown eyes. I opened my mouth, not sure what it was exactly that was going to say, when his eyes left mine and instead narrowed as they looked out the passenger side window. He looked almost angry, or at least exceedingly annoyed. I furrowed my brow and glanced to my right, out the window, where Isabella Swan was standing, or hovering really. She was looking anxiously at Jacob, and beckoned to him. I glanced at Jacob out of the corner of my eye, to see him nod slightly.

_Of course! _I rolled my eyes and opened the door. _What the fuck was I thinking? He doesn't like me, Lydia was right, he just wants Isabella. _I climbed out of the car, suddenly consumed by anger. I looked back at Jacob, whose eyes had left Isabella's and now were searching my face.

"Thanks for the ride," I found myself mumbling as I went to close the door. Jacob's hand snaked out and held it open, stopping me in my tracks.

"I'll be here to pick you up, don't forget." He grinned at me, and released his hold on the door. I nodded and closed the door the rest of the way. I turned and swept past Isabella without a look. I was waiting to hear Jacob's door open, or for her to start talking to him. Instead, I heard the telltale whine of his car exiting the parking lot.

A felt a smile grow on my face as I entered the building; _maybe Lydia was wrong after all... _I was just soaking this thought up when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I halted and turned to see Isabella standing there, confusion written across her pinched face. I had never really known what it was that had drawn every boy to her. She had always seemed like a flighty, whiny bitch to me. Though, to be fair, I had never had a conversation with her.

"Um, hi?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. _What the fuck could this be about?_

"Jake gave you a drive to school." She stated, seeming to not understand why on earth this could have happened.

"Yes, yes he did." I shook my head and was just turning around when she blurted out something that had me stopping again.

"Tell him I'm sorry." She drew in a deep breath. "He just doesn't understand... he can't understand, but..." She ran a hand through her hair, seeming to be frustrated. "Look, if..." She shook her head. "Just... just tell him I'm sorry, and that I'm happy for him. Tell him that he finally knows how I feel, about Edward I mean."

I turned back to her slowly, brows furrowed. "What?" I had always thought she was a bit of an idiot, but she wasn't even making sense anymore.

She rolled her eyes, "just tell him okay? You'll be seeing more of him than I will." She then brushed past me, cradling a textbook to her chest, her head down.

_This whole fucking town is going fucking insane. _I grumbled to myself as I reluctantly followed her farther into the building. _It's going to be a really long day. _

I hurried through the pressing bodies in the hallway toward my locker, realizing that Isabella had probably made me late for first period. I shoved through a couple macking in front of my locker and quickly twirled the dial to unlock it. I picked up my geography textbook and threw it into my bag. I closed up my locker and scurried off to my first period class.

The double period of geography passed in a whirl of maps and color-coordination. I kept to myself more than normal during class; I felt as though everybody's eyes were on me. I didn't bother trying to talk to Sophia, the petite red-head I sat next to. I figured Lydia would have gotten to her first, and I wasn't intent on having a fight. I actually preferred to avoid one for as long as possible.

I squashed my textbook into my bag as Sophia flipped her hair over her shoulder, huffed in my general direction, and walked out of the classroom. I stared after her for a second, wondering if I should laugh or be offended. I shook it off and swung my bag onto my shoulder, not looking forward to the trek to the gymnasium.

I stopped by my locker to dropped off my textbook and pick up a pair of jogging shorts and a t-shirt. No matter how cold it was outside, I knew I'd be wishing for snow to roll in by the time I was done at the gym. I chucked the clothes into my bag and left the building as quickly as I could.

I walked across the parking lot toward the gymnasium, the chill air freezing me to the bone. I clung my sweater closer to my body and barrelled toward the gym, ignoring the people on their way to their cars for lunch. Our lunch break is split up into three separate lunches; classes on the first floor got the first forty-five minute break, classes on the second floor got the second break, and labs and gym classes got the third lunch break.

I rushed into the gymnasium and headed for the change rooms. Inside were the rest of the girls from my gym class, all of whom were standing around talking about something. They immediately shut up when I entered, so I figured at least one of them had been talking to Lydia earlier. I scowled; was it really that bad that I was moving on with my god damn life? It's not like it was any of their business to begin with.

I stalked past them, the glare on my face daring them to say anything. They didn't, but one girl rolled her eyes and snorted. I locked myself in a stall and sat down on the toilet, running a hand through my hair. _Why is she doing this to me?_ I closed my eyes as tears threatened to spill over. _Like it wasn't bad enough to fight with her, she had to draw the whole school into it. _I took in a deep breath and squared my shoulders. _Some fucking friend she turned out to be_.

I changed quickly and threw my hair up into a high pony-tail, all in the solitude of the stall. I heard the other girls leave the room and I slipped out of the stall, stuffing my bag into one of the open lockers that lined the walls. _I hope we're playing something competitive and violent because I will kick the shit out of all of them._

We ended up playing badminton, which wasn't nearly a violent enough game for my liking. I did manage to hit one of the girls in the eye with the birdie, but it wasn't exactly on purpose. I actually kind of felt bad for her, because she wasn't one of the meanest girl of the bunch. No, those ones had to be on my team, which is only natural of course.

By the end of gym class I was just more angry and tense than I had been, thanks to the snide comments and my teammates failing to remember that I was part of the team too. I snatched my bag out of my locker and changed back into my jeans, leaving my t-shirt on and putting on more deodorant. Thankfully, coach Robards had the foresight to have us run laps for the last fifteen minutes, so now I was too tired to hit one, or all, of the bitches on my team.

I exited the change room before most of the girls had even entered. I crossed the parking lot in a blur of emotion, heading for the main building of the school where I could grab my wallet out of my locker and drive somewhere fattening for lunch. There had been no way I was taking my wallet to gym; on a good day I didn't trust half the girls in my class.

As my locker came into sight I saw the one person I had been dreading seeing more than Lydia, leaning against it. Ally Sharma saw me coming and didn't move a muscle. Her pretty face stayed completely calm, but I knew her better than that. Inside, I knew she was boiling, and I was the source of that anger.

Ally had been my best friend since kindergarten; and we had stayed friends for twelve years. She had introduced me to Wilder, her twin brother, to Kirk Barnett, their neighbor, and to Lydia, Wilder's best friend. The five of us had been inseparable for the majority of our teen years. Ally and I had literally been to hell and back with the other three, and yet we had all fallen apart without Wilder.

Every time I look at Ally, I see Wilder. I think that's why we drifted apart; I see his brown eyes staring at me, his caramel skin, his dark hair. I think it's also the reason why Lydia clings to her. We differed in our mourning here; I don't want any mementos, I shy away from everything and anything that reminded me of him while Lydia strives to see him everywhere.

I slowed my pace, internally readying myself for whatever it was she was going to throw at me. I stopped directly in front of her, avoiding the eyes that used to captivate me. "Hi," I said as I unlocked my locker. I tossed my bag in, waiting for her to say something, to yell, to hit me.

"Is it true?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper, I could hear the pain, the pain that hadn't lessened a whit since Wilder had left.

"Is what true, Ally?" I asked wearily, knowing the answer, but wanting to prolong the fight as long as humanly possible.

Ally shifted her position, digging her hands into her pockets. She did that every time she was nervous, or scared. I looked up at her, seeing the pain fresh on her face. She knew what I was doing. We hadn't been best friends for twelve years just to forget each others nuances.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about Cass, don't make this any harder on me than it already is." She shook her black hair out of her face. "Are you really going out on a date? You know... you know he could come back." She was still talking quietly, still refusing to raise her voice.

"He's not coming back, Ally. We both know that... Wilder would have contacted us, he wouldn't have just up and left. He didn't leave a note, he hasn't sent us an email, a text, he hasn't called... he hasn't even contacted _Lydia. _He isn't coming back." I spoke in an equally quiet voice, trying desperately to get my point across.

Wilder hadn't committed suicide, or at least if he did, he didn't do it somewhere that he would be found. He just disappeared. One day he was there, the next he wasn't. He didn't leave a note, he didn't pack a bag, he didn't take his car. He was just gone, gone as if he had never been there in the first place.

I could see the tears in her eyes, I could see how much I was killing her. I had finally given up, her best friend, and I had given up on her brother. "I don't believe that." She said fiercely, looking up at me. "I know he'll come back some day." She inhaled, choking back a sob. "He wouldn't do this to us, Cassie, he wouldn't. This isn't Wilder. He's out there somewhere... I know he is."

I reached into my locker and withdrew my wallet, closing the locker and turning to face Ally, leaning against the metal door. "Ally... you know I wish I could believe that." I shook my head slowly. "But I need to move on... it's not _healthy_, obsessing over it like Lydia does. I'm going to move on and try to be happy again. I'll never forget Wilder, not ever, he will always be my first love... God, he was my first for so many things." I chuckled a little. "Some things that I wish I didn't remember, really." Ally rewarded me with a watery laugh at that.

"Yeah, there were a few completely stupid things we tried." She smiled slightly. "I miss you, Cassie. I miss Wilder. I miss Kirkie and Lyd too..."

"I miss them too... I miss the way that we all used to be."

Ally took a deep breath and met my gaze. "I'm not angry at you, Cassie. But if Wilder ever comes back, I will never forgive you if you try anything with him." I laughed at that, typical Ally.

"Don't worry, Al." I whispered. "I would never hurt him like he hurt me." Ally didn't respond, but I saw the acceptance in her eyes. She nodded at me and pushed off the locker. She hesitated, looking like there was something else she wanted to say. Whatever it was though, I will never know, because she just walked away.


	6. Remembrance

**Hey guys! I know I promised to have this out earlier, but I had to write a midterm and a paper this past week, and I really should be studying for my midterm on Tuesday right now, but this chapter was calling to me! I hope you all forgive me, and enjoy the chapter! I'm not sure if I'll get another one out this week coming, but my spring break starts on the seventeenth and doesn't end until the twenty-eighth! I'll probably get a few chapters out during that period if my professors don't get a hate on and give me a bunch of shit to do. **

****Warning: There is drug usage and a mild sexual scene in this chapter, so if anyone is bothered by that then you can just skip over the flashbacks and you should be good. Everyone else, I hope you enjoy, and I would really appreciate feedback, especially because it's the first time I've written any kind of sexual scene before! Haha :)**

**Thanks so much for all of the reviews, you guys are absolutely amazing, keep them coming please! They're my motivation! **

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><p><span>Chapter Six: Remembrance<span>

_Some things gotta get loud,  
><em>_'cause I'm dying just to make you see,  
><em>_that I need you here with me now,  
><em>_'cause you've got that one thing._

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><p>I burst out of the school into the cool January air, taking a deep breath, hoping to purge all of the negative feelings I had accumulated since this morning. I made my way to my mum's car, which she had dropped off for me when she went out to lunch with some of her friends. Thankfully she had thought I might want to go somewhere for lunch since she knew that Jacob had taken me to school, meaning that I would be car-less for the day.<p>

My talk with Ally was still whirling around in my head as I arrived at the burgundy, two-door Chevrolet Cobalt my mum had purchased brand-new just a year ago. I viciously tried to quell the onslaught of emotions, the threatening tears, the scream building up in my throat. _I think I should go to Wendy's for lunch, that's fattening enough right?_ I tried in a way of distracting myself, clinging desperately to the train of thought and wondering what burger might induce a heart-attack the quickest.

I jammed the key my mum had copied for me a fortnight ago into the lock on the car door and turned it, hands trembling so furiously I was amazed I could even open the door. I scrambled into the seat, closing the door with a little too much force. I inhaled deeply again, leaning my head against the steering wheel. _Why... why me? Haven't you tortured me enough?_ You'd think it would be satisfactory to have your boyfriend-slash-best-friend to disappear without trace, but no. I guess having the only other friends you have turn on you, somehow dragging the whole school into it, will hopefully have been punishment enough for whatever the hell it was that I had done to earn me this trial-by-fire.

I lifted my head and pushed the key into the ignition, starting the car up with no trouble – one of the only good things to happen today, aside from Jacob – and turned up the music as loud as I dared without blowing mum's speakers. I plugged in my iPod and turned on "Stupid Hoe" by Nicki Minaj, which mostly summed up my feelings toward certain people, and pulled out of the parking lot.

I drove without paying attention, recklessly, not particularly caring about my own safety for the time being. It felt good to not give a fuck. I pulled into the Wendy's drive-thru and ordered a plain baconator, anticipating the delicious fatty food I was about to sink my teeth into. I paid and waited for my food impatiently, bopping along to the music and watching the traffic trickle by on main street. I was interrupted from my staring by one of the guys who was working shoving the bag of my food out the window. I accepted the food and pulled off to the side of the restaurant, planning on eating in peace.

I munched on my baconator with an unhealthy happiness as I watched a group of five teenagers troop by, laughing and goofing off. It felt like I had been hit with a ton of bricks in the chest as I watched one of the girls kiss one of the boys on his cheek. I instantly remembered skipping out on class and roaming around town just like they did. I didn't even bother trying to stop the memories as they rushed forth, slipping and blending into one another in their rush to overpower me.

"_Come on, just try it, it's not like you're going to get addicted to it. Weed isn't even bad for you." Kirk held out the smoking joint to me, a grin on his face. "It just helps calm you down, mostly." Wilder was leaning against the brick building, his eyes closed and breathing even. I wasn't sure about this. I had been warned to stay away from drugs. How many times had the grade-school teachers told us not to cave into peer pressure? That smoking is totally not cool? _

"_It's alright, babe." Ally said, throwing her arm around my shoulders and blowing smoke into my face. She giggled and took another drag off her own joint. "Trust me, it makes Mackay's class a whole hell of a lot more endurable." _

_I caved in and took the smoking paper from Kirk. If only to fit in. "Just inhale deeply, hold it for a few seconds, then exhale it slowly. You'll be fine." I nervously lifted the joint to my lips and took my first drag. I dissolved into a fit of coughing. Wilder opened one eye lazily and grinned at me._

"_Don't worry gorgeous, that's what happens to everyone." He pushed off the wall and scooped me into a close embrace, kissing my cheek before whispering in my ear. "I hear sex is great when you're high..." _

I shook my head, grinding my teeth, trying to look anywhere but at the group of teenagers that reminded me of my own past so badly that it hurt. They were walking into the parking lot, approaching the car, looking like they had not a care in the world. Actually, they probably didn't have a care. When everything had been whole and intact, I hadn't given a moment's notice to the future. I hadn't noticed everything was slowly falling apart.

The group stopped in the parking lot as one of the boys took out a cigarette, or maybe a joint, and lit it. He passed it around the group and everyone took a drag. One of the girls threw up her arms and twirled, giggling, as happy as can be. I was once again dragged into my memories, the memories I tried every single day to forget about and move on from.

_I waited in the living room, my pajamas discarded on the floor, a long, low-cut, pale pink shirt hanging just low enough to cover my ass in my ripped up leggings. Wilder and Kirk had promised to pick me up at 12:30 sharp. I only had a few minutes to spare, but I was too nervous to try and do anything productive. I had redone my make-up earlier, and curled my hair into loose ringlets. _

_I watched out the bay window, waiting for the boys to sneak me out before my parents realized it. They had been invited to a rave down on the reserve, and they had begged me to go with them. Ally had agreed immediately, stoked to be going to her first rave. I mostly felt anxiety. I had never heard good things about raves. Lydia had been the one to convince me to go, saying that everyone needed to experience at least one, and that they would take me home as soon as I felt the need. _

_I was pondering my decision when I heard Kirk's truck rumbling up the driveway; they had turned off the headlights so that they wouldn't wake my parents. I fumbled with my bag and my flats, nervousness making me more clumsy than usual. I turned the knob of the front door and slowly pulled it open, slipping through the smallest crack that I could, and closing the door silently._

_I clambered into the truck and sat in the back with Ally and Lydia. The drive to the rave was a blur of smoking and drinking to our hearts content. We were fucked by the time we got there. We dismounted from the truck in a mess and rushed into the warehouse, already feeling the music pounding through our bodies. We rushed in, hand in hand, and joined the dancing throng. _

_Wilder and I had only eyes for each other, grinding to the beat and hardly daring to part our lips for air. We were like so many of the couples there, some getting naked right there on the dance floor. We restrained ourselves, though barely. Halfway through the night he pulled me out of the building and into the woods. We drank the remainder of the vodka and melted into each other. _

_We undressed to the music coming from the warehouse, Wilder trailing hot kisses over my body, lingering on my breasts, my hips, my neck. I nuzzled my face into the crook of his neck, gasping for breath as he lifted me and pushed me up against the trunk of a tree. I hooked my legs around his waist as he slipped into me, bringing our bodies as close together as they could possibly be. I was lost in the haze of alcohol and scent of sex as we moaned together into the night, climaxing with little effort. _

I dropped my head to the steering wheel, the tears streaming silently down my face. We had done so much together, so many incredibly stupid things... but I had been so in love with him, so very in love with him. _Am I betraying him by hanging out with Jacob? By allowing myself to think about the possibility of being with someone else?_ I let out a shaky sob, wishing for the millionth time that I could just go back to that night, to be with him one last time, to ask him what it was that he needed to run from.

"God Wilder," I whispered into the leather of the steering wheel. "You could have just told me... I would have done anything to help you, anything." I lifted my head, noticing that the group had moved inside. I exhaled shakily and wiped the tears from my eyes. _Lydia and Ally think it's so fucking easy for me to forget about him? They're wrong. They're so very, very wrong._ I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the headrest. _How could he do this to me?_

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><p><strong>Jacob's Point of View<strong>

* * *

><p>I never thought I wanted to imprint after I met Bella. I thought for sure that the pull I felt towards her was as close as I was going to get. I had been determined to convince her to keep her life, to stay with me, to have the family she deserved. She had hurt me so deeply, scarred my heart so badly, so many times over that I wasn't sure I would ever recover. She had chosen death over being with me. That's a blow to the self-esteem, trust me.<p>

Yet, from the moment Cassidy had nearly plowed me over in Grant's convenience store, I had not felt one single thing toward Bella. It was like the hurt had never been there in the first place, like I had never felt anything except friendship toward her. Of course, I'm still pissed that she decided to be with a bloodsucker, but I don't feel as though I would die with her if she did indeed become an enemy anymore. I was concerned, just as I would be concerned if Embry decided to go off and marry Rosalie. Albeit, I might be slightly more concerned with Embry.

Cassidy had saved me from a world of pain, and I would do anything in my power to make her the happiest girl in the world.

When I had joined the pack, Sam and Jared were already imprinted. I wasn't there for their initial emotions, I'd had no idea what imprinting even was. Sam had described it as gravity shifting, shifting so that the earth is no longer the centre, but rather the imprintee is. But it wasn't until Quil imprinted on Claire that I had started to kind of understand. I guess it was weird at first to think of Quil's soul mate as being a toddler, but he didn't see it like that. He certainly didn't feel anything romantic toward her; it was more like he had been given a precious gift, a baby sister in a way. Though his feelings for Claire were a hell of a lot stronger than anything I felt for Rachel and Rebecca.

While I had been at Cassidy's house this morning, I had felt so content being in her presence. I never wanted to leave her side, though I knew that wouldn't be possible for the time being. She needed to realize she needed me just as much as I needed her.

Sam had told me to tread carefully, even for our imprint we can't just come out with our secret. I couldn't tell her until we were all sure she was ready, that she wouldn't run screaming into the hills. Sam had said to just give her space, I needed to be gradual, I couldn't throw myself at her like I wanted too.

But this morning... this morning I couldn't help myself. She needed me, and I had gone to her. Holding her in my arms had been the best sensation I had ever felt. She was so small, but she fit perfectly in my arms. I think she might have noticed it too. I just kept replaying it in my mind, the way she softened into my embrace, the way it felt when she put her head to my chest, everything about the moment had been perfect.

_What was it about that picture that had upset her?_ I wondered as I stood on my front porch, readying myself for patrol. I had only recognized Cassidy herself and her friend Lydia. I stripped off my t-shirt, feeling the cold air whip around me. One of the things I didn't miss about being "normal" was the cold. I slipped out of my shorts and tied them around my ankle, securing them there for when I needed to change back.

I leaped off the deck as a human, and landed on the ground as a wolf. I was greeted by the bombardment of Seth, Quil, Jared and Brady's thoughts, all of whom had already begun their patrol. I dashed off in the direction of their consciences, knowing that in a matter of seconds the four of them would know what had transpired since I had last shifted.

_'Why was she so broke-up about the picture?' _That was Quil, his confusion evident in his question, mirroring my concern. I could feel the same feeling emanating from the others too.

_'I'm not sure... I didn't get the chance to ask, she didn't exactly want to talk about it.' _

It wasn't Quil that answered me this time, but Jared. '_You know the guy that's got his arms around your imprint?'_ He was referring to the picture, it swam before my mind's eye as Jared focused on it. I felt a spark of anger at the thought of some guy touching my girl. Jared continued in a rush, trying to keep my anger from mounting. '_That's the kid that went missing a year ago. Wilder, I think was his name. An Indian kid, the kind that's actually from India. He ran off or something, Sam said that the police thought it had something to do with drugs. We still had to do a run about, looking for him. We never found anything, though. He was just some dumb kid that had run off. He probably went to the city and caught the first bus ride out of here.' _

All of this new information was chasing itself around in my head; did that mean Cassidy was into – no, of course not. She wasn't like that. I shook my head and charged through the underbrush, trying to concentrate on the patrol. It was a helpless endeavour.

_'They were friends Jake, that doesn't mean anything.'_ Seth said in his reassuring manner as we finally met up in a small clearing near the coast. We charged off toward the border with Forks in a tight circle.

_'Looks like they were more than just friends though, doesn't it?' _Brady asked in a snide way, the picture once again exploding into my mind's eye. I snarled and whirled around to face him, snapping my powerful jaws. Brady backed down instantly, tail between his legs and head low. _'Sorry man, it was just a joke.'_

'_You're an idiot.'_ Jared snapped, coming to my defense. '_Now come on, we've got a patrol to do. Don't worry about your imprint Jake, it will work itself out.'_ I growled low one last time at Brady before turning and dashing off, the others at my heels.

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><p><strong>Cassidy's Point of View<strong>

* * *

><p>I lingered at the back of the classroom when the final bell rang. I didn't want to have to fight my way through throngs of people who couldn't mind their own business and leave me in peace. I'd had another run-in after lunch, with a group of girls who had gone into their own sort of fake-mourning when Wilder had disappeared. They had done it for the attention, to try and get themselves on TV whenever the local news station showed up to do interviews with the police and those who knew him. I hated them, I hated them for pretending they actually gave a damn, while when Wilder had been around they had looked at him like he was worth less than the dirt beneath their shoes.<p>

I had been called names before now, mostly in a joking manner, and I had lived through it. This time, with everyone going around calling me a "slut," and a "whore," it would be no different. I would survive. As soon as the next scandal showed up, I would be free of them. For the time being though, I planned on avoiding the student body as much as possible.

I slowly gathered up my books, ordering them in my bright blue bag for the most efficient way to save room. I zipped it closed, threw it onto my shoulder and meandered through the mess of desks out into the hallway. I kept my head high, though most of the kids had already fled into the parking lot by now, so it didn't matter if I was being defiant or not.

To my relief, there was nobody waiting for me by my locker. I was blissfully alone in the hallway, and for the first time that day I didn't feel as though I was being watched. I gladly threw my books into my locker, as haphazardly as I wished, and slammed the door shut. I made my way out of the school, and sat down on the sidewalk. Mum had texted me earlier and told me to not worry about her car, to just leave it in the parking lot and she would have one of the girls from the hospital drive her over to get it after her shift.

I watched as the parking lot emptied slowly, watching the gorgeous Volvo S60 R glide out of the parking lot. Isabella Swan was sure to be sitting in that car with Edward Cullen; she was probably one of the luckiest girls in the world. She got the guy she wanted, the one with the best car in probably a hundred miles. She got the great friends, the ones she could treat like dirt and still have them coming back for more (at least, that's what I had heard Jessica Stanley saying loudly in the hallway one time, when Isabella had mysteriously been absent from school). She had Jacob, and he was probably in love with her, and nobody ever called her a slut, or a whore, and nobody ever told her "hey, maybe you're being a selfish bitch by leading every guy in the school on, maybe you should give other girls a chance, maybe you can fuck off and just get out of Forks."

_God,_ I thought to myself, shaking my head. _I don't even know this girl, and here I am, taking out all of my anger on her... What is going on with me lately?_ I sighed and closed my eyes, languishing in the feeling of the cold air stirring my hair and caressing my skin. I remembered what had happened to Isabella last year, when Edward and his family had packed up and moved out of Forks. She had been broken, beyond repair. I still don't know what had happened to make her come back to life, if only somewhat. I do remember that I felt the exact same way as her that year, because Wilder had left shortly before Edward had disappeared. It didn't last as long as her depression seemed to, but it had been a niggling presence for a very long time. I think I was just a lot better at hiding it than she was. Hell, I don't think she _wanted_ to hide it.

I opened my eyes, staring at the now-empty parking lot, and wondering where the hell Jacob could be._ Maybe he forgot?_ The annoying voice in the back of my head wondered, spreading doubt and worry in my head. I frowned and examined the dirty sidewalk on which I was sitting. _He wouldn't have forgotten about me, would he? He seemed really excited about it this morning..._ I heaved yet another sigh; _this morning... I probably scared him off when I practically broke down in his arms, just from that stupid picture. He probably never wants to see me again. I'm damaged goods, right?_

I was just standing up to go and drive mum's Cobalt home, when I saw the red Volkswagen come tearing into the parking lot, dust billowing behind it. I couldn't stop the small smile from forming on my lips as he pulled up beside me and swung the door open from the inside.

"Sorry!" He called, smiling at me from the driver's seat. "I didn't get off work as early as I thought I would, I got here as fast I could." I found myself not really caring that he was late anymore.

"At least you're here now," I laughed as I climbed into the car, throwing my bag into the backseat. I looked up at him, into his beautiful brown eyes. "I thought you were ditching me."

"I'd never leave you, Cassidy."

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><p><strong>Hope you guys enjoyed it! Please review! :D <strong>

**P.S. I have pictures of the original characters if you guys want to see them, just PM me and I'll send you the links. **


	7. The Surprise

**Holy fuck is this actually an update? After what, a month? God I am so sorry guys! I stayed up super late to finish this chapter, which has just been sitting in my laptop, half finished, since I last updated. I know, I know. I suck. I would totally love it if I still had anybody out there reading this! If you are still reading, please review so I know people are still interested! My term is over in a week, so by like the 18th of April (when my exams are over) I will be able to concentrate on updating more frequently! That is, if I get any reviews saying there really is a point in still writing... You guys all rock! Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! I hope you enjoy! **

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><p><span>Chapter Seven: The Surprise<span>

_So get out, get out, get out of my head,  
><em>_and fall into my arms instead.  
><em>_I don't, I don't, don't know what it is,  
><em>_but I need that one thing,  
><em>_yeah, you've got that one thing._

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><p>I wasn't sure what it was that Jacob had in store for me tonight, but I was perfectly happy with letting him take charge. I just snuggled back into the comfy seat of his Volkswagen and listened to his deep baritone as he talked about nothing. I closed my eyes, Jacob seemed satisfied with the mumbled agreements I offered every time he paused long enough. <em>This must be what peace feels like.<em> I thought as Jacob's voice whirled through my head. I hadn't been this content since before Wilder had disappeared. It seemed like my worries, anxieties, my anger from the morning had all faded away once I had folded myself into his car. I don't know exactly what it was about Jacob that made me this blissful, but I was determined to keep it like this for as long as possible. As long as Jacob wanted me around. _God, I hope he wants me around forever._

"What time do you have to be home?" Jacob asked as his car trundled along the road that would eventually take us into the heart of the Quileute reserve. I opened my eyes and rolled my head in his direction, our eyes meeting for a split second before he reverted them back to the road. The weird swooping feeling came back, and I squirmed a little as it faded away again.

"My curfew is usually ten thirty." I replied, my eyes trailing over his long, dark, muscular arm to his hand that was gripping the steering wheel. "What are we going to do tonight, anyway?"

Jacob grinned without looking at me. "It's a surprise."

"That's what people say when they don't know what they're going to do, and they're just making it up as they go along." Jacob glanced at me with an eyebrow raised.

"You think so?"

"I know so, actually."

Jacob laughed his loud, barking laugh and shook his head. "You just know everything, don't you, smart-ass?"

I grinned and closed my eyes again. "You're right, you're right." He chuckled and I could tell he was shaking his head at me. I felt like I had known Jacob for my whole life, and just a few days ago I had been certain he was stalking me, or that he was at least a drug-dealer. _Weird how your feelings for someone can just change in an instant._ I mused as Jacob turned the stereo up louder. I had no idea what station he was playing, but a Mayday Parade song was now belting out of the speakers. It reminded me of happier times, back when I had been into mellow music and staying out much later than my parents deemed acceptable.

We had been driving for probably twenty minutes when I suddenly remembered what Isabella had wanted me to tell Jacob. "Hey, I forgot to tell you," I started out, looking over at him. "Isabella told me to tell you that she's sorry, and something about how you know how she feels now." I shook my head. "She's a whack-job in my opinion. What is it about her that everybody loves anyway?" Jacob looked pained at this comment, so I shut my mouth. _It was just a question._

"Thanks," he answered after a minute of silence. "For telling me, I mean. Bella and I were really good friends for a while, but we're not really..." He searched for a term to use, as I puzzled over his words. "Seeing eye-to-eye, I guess you could say." _They were just friends?_ I mused to myself. _She doesn't seem like the "just friends" type. The way he says her name... it's like a caress. _I resumed my staring out of the window, watching as a lake swam into view for a moment, then was hidden once again by trees. _The looks on his face when he's around her, or when she's mentioned, remind me of Lydia. She used to look like that around Wilder. _I brushed the thought off. It didn't matter. None of it mattered. Lydia was home, probably drinking her sorrows away, and I was here with Jacob, not Isabella.

We didn't say much for the rest of the drive to wherever it was that Jacob was taking me. He let me doze, and occasionally he would murmur along to the lyrics of whatever song the radio played. It made me feel light inside, just listening to his voice, being able to enjoy the silence without having to fill it up with nonsense. I hadn't had this level of comfort with anyone for such a long time. I had forgotten what it was like.

When I finally noticed Jacob's car slowing down, forty-five minutes had passed since he had picked me up from school. I looked around, wondering where we could possibly be as he turned down a long, dirt driveway. _His house maybe? _I thought as I sat up straighter.

"Where are we?" I asked as a small white house came into view. There were several cars parked outside it. I noticed a boy, one of the ones from the bonfire – Seth, I think – stick his head out of the door set in the enclosed deck area. Seth waved exuberantly and then vanished back inside the house. I quirked my eyebrow at Jacob, waiting for him to answer as he parked the car.

"This is Sam and Emily's house – you met them at the bonfire." He seemed to have failed to remember I had met him at the bonfire too. "I hope you don't mind, but we always come here and hang out. Emily makes the best food ever. You'll get to meet everyone again and get to know them."

_Why is it that they all seem to think I am going to need to meet and get to know everyone? They all think I'm going to be around a lot. Why is that?_

Jacob jumped out of the car with an inhuman speed and was opening my door before I could even protest. He grinned at me, reassuring me, and held out his hand. The awkward moment from before fled my mind. I unbuckled my seat belt and hesitantly took his proffered hand. It felt strange to have Jacob's huge hand envelope mine, when nobody had held my hand in over a year. I didn't think it would happen this soon, but God it just felt so right. His hand was so warm, it sent thrills through my system. He tugged me toward the house, absolutely humming with joy.

Jacob's attitude was infectious. Though I was nervous to be entering a house full of strangers, I was reassured by Jacob's presence. I couldn't stop myself from grinning like an idiot at the fact that I was holding a boys hand; a boy that wasn't Wilder, that hadn't hurt me, that hadn't pressured me into anything. Jacob was just so... so... _there's no word, no word at all that can describe what he is. He's happiness embodied in the sexiest person I've ever laid eyes on. He's perfect._

As we climbed up the stairs to the porch, I could hear loud, raucous voices from inside. The nervousness I had been feeling came back tenfold and I glanced up Jacob, wondering what I was possibly going to have to say to a bunch of Jacob's rather large, intimidating friends. I gulped and dropped my gaze to the door handle as Jacob twisted it and pushed it open, calling out a greeting as he did so.

Jacob looked down at me and smiled, squeezing my hand. "Don't be so nervous, they're really not that bad." He gently tugged me into the house and slipped off his sneakers. I pulled my boots off and set them neatly on the mat, close to where Jacob had thrown his. Jacob took my hand again and led me deeper into the house, where I could smell frying sausages, eggs, and a medley of other delicious scents.

We emerged from the hallway into a kitchen that doubled as the dining room to find a crowd of people milling about, spilling into the attached living room. My heart pounding, I surveyed the group. It seemed like the house was full to bursting, but it was probably just because they were all so huge. The whole pack of boys from the beach were here, including their girlfriends.

I stood awkwardly at Jacob's side as he greeted everyone and tried to re-introduce me to the room in general. I could barely understand what was being said as they all tried to talk over one another. I managed to catch a few names here and there - "You remember me, I'm Seth!" - but it was mostly just jumbled up nonsense.

After a minute or so, they managed to quiet down enough that I could understand what was being said. Jacob had his arm wrapped around my waist, which made me feel slightly more protected. Though it was still an odd feeling, having so many people staring at me at once. The only other time I'd experienced something like this was in third grade when we had done a production of _The Nutcracker_ for the school Christmas concert. I had thrown up.

I think Jacob could maybe tell that I was freaking out a little, because he guided me away from the pack of boys, who didn't seem to mind. They went back to whatever it was that they had been doing before, and most of them filtered into the living room. I let Jacob tug me into the kitchen, where Emily and Kim were tending to the food.

"Finally, I was beginning to worry that you two weren't going to make it." Emily's exclaimed, her good-natured smile plastered on her face. She was turning sausages over on a frying pan, and the smell emanating from them was intoxicating. Kim was chopping peppers and onions on a cutting board across from her, on the opposite counter.

"Work ran late," Jacob answered, his arm still wrapped around my waist. "Then I went home to change, and I got held up a bit. Dad needed some help with his truck. He needs his bearing replaced, so hopefully he went in town to get one and not just to visit Charlie."

"Charlie?" I asked, looking up at him. "As in, police chief Charlie? Isabella Swan's father?"

"Yup, that's the one. You know him?"

I grunted in response. All of the times I had met him hadn't exactly been under ideal circumstances. Especially his last few visits to my house; I'm sure he thinks I had Wilder kidnapped and killed, the way he questioned me.

Jacob furrowed his brow at me, but I looked away. That was the kind of conversation I was not having in front of two girls I didn't know. Actually, it was a conversation I didn't ever plan on having even with Jacob. _There are a lot of things I plan on never telling him..._ I mused to myself. He's more of a distraction, a distraction from the real world than anything concrete. No matter how much I enjoy his company, he won't ever be more than that.

"Do you need help with anything?" I spoke up, determined to lead the topic away from my past police dealings. "I would love to help you two. You seem to have your hands full."

"Actually, that would be great. Can you keep an eye on those eggs for me?" Emily indicated a pan of eggs that needed scrambling. "You can go and talk with the boys now Jake, we can take care of Cassidy. I think they're discussing _work_." Jacob hesitated for a moment, but I smiled up at him, letting him know that I felt perfectly comfortable here. Definitely more comfortable than with all of those boys. Jacob pulled his arm away from me, though with a somewhat regretful look on his face and gave me a smile.

"I'll just be in the living room." I nodded, unsure why I needed to know exactly where he would be, and watched as he turned and walked out. I shook my head and went to the stove, positioned myself beside Emily and grabbed a spatula out of the dish on the counter and began to work on the eggs.

"Jacob's a great guy." Emily commented as she flipped the sausages again. "He's had a rough year though, what with Bella and all." I quirked an eyebrow and scrambled the eggs.

"What about Bella?"

"Oh, well I'm not really sure I should be the one telling you. Suffice it to say, I'm glad he's met someone else."

"Oh, no, we're... we're not _together_ or anything. Just friends." I said hastily, feeling my face heating up. _That's exactly what Jacob said about him and Bella. Oh, great, that's wonderful. They'll never believe me. _I couldn't help but wonder what it was that went on between them that Jacob was so loath to talk about. _It's not like you don't know that feeling_. I reminded myself. "I only just met him and all... we don't really know each other that well." Emily gave me a knowing smile.

"Of course, of course..." She didn't mention our relationship again, but I could still see the sparkle in her eye when she looked at me. The three of us finished the food and loaded it all onto plates so that the boys could pick and choose what they wanted. There was enough food to surely feed an army, but after supper was finished there wasn't a scrap left.

Emily stood and began clearing off the dishes, kissing the top of Sam's head. I had been watching the two of them together. They were so in love, so deeply in love, that it almost felt like an intrusion, but I couldn't help myself. It was what I wanted, what I had always wanted. I used to picture what it would be like if Wilder and I had ever let our relationship grow to such heights. I had always wondered what it would be like, to know that someone loves you so unconditionally.

Kim and Jared were the exact same, though you could tell they hadn't been together nearly as long. Kim still blushed tomato red whenever Jared kissed her, like she couldn't believe it was actually happening. She had told me, while we had been cooking, that she'd had a crush on Jared for years before he had finally noticed her. I asked her what she thought it had been, that had made him finally notice her, but she had been vague about it. She said that he had just come into class one morning and really _seen _her. I still couldn't figure out what she meant by it.

Throughout the meal, the boys had been just as rowdy as before. This time, I had found myself enjoying it and laughing with them. It was like my time with Emily and Kim had helped me ease into the atmosphere here. It was great, Quil and Embry had to be some of the funniest people I had ever met. It was especially amusing that they had targeted Jacob for the evening.

Jacob draped his arm over the back of my chair as everyone fell into a sort of content quiet that only comes after your belly has been filled with good food. I leaned my head back and rested it on Jacob's arm, thinking about how nice it would be if I could just fall asleep right now and not wake up for another week or so.

I mostly ignored the talking around me, I couldn't exactly follow the conversation anyway. It was like they were using some sort of code, and something that had to do with jobs. It wasn't very interesting at any rate, and I could feel myself dozing off again. _God I'm so tired today. I wonder what the hell that's about._ I suppose it could be the rollercoaster ride that that my emotions have been lately, but it didn't really explain why I felt the need to sleep for weeks on end.

Finally, Jacob leaned over to me with a concerned look in his eyes. "Are you okay, Cassie?" My eyes met his and I couldn't even begin to articulate a response. _Why are his eyes so beautiful? Shouldn't that be illegal? _

"I'm... I'm fine... Just tired, really." I murmured as my eyes left his and slowly traced the outline of his face, and took in how soft his hair looked. I had a sudden urge to run my fingers through it.

"We should head home then." Jacob replied, and stood up. "We need to get going guys," he announced to the room. "Cassie needs to be home before too long anyway." There was booing and general unhappiness from the people still sitting at the table, but Jacob shook them off and helped me up.

We said our goodbyes, and I promised Emily that I would be back before too long. I shook hands with Embry, who had ended up making me laugh so hard that my sides had ached, and hugged both Kim and Emily before we could get our shoes on. We were still calling out goodbyes as we climbed into the car.

"Did you have a good time?" Jacob asked anxiously as we pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. "I know the guys can be really loud and annoying, but they liked you and wanted to see you again so I -"

I cut Jacob off with a laugh. "I had a great time, Jake." I answered, using the nickname that everyone else had given him. "They're all so funny, I would like to come back again." I don't think I've ever seen Jacob smile so big before.

"Good, that's awesome. I'm so glad you had a good time." I grinned up at him and he smiled right back. "You're not cold are you?" He asked, concern radiating from him once again. I guess he had noticed when I had pulled my jacket tighter around me.

"Just a little, but it is winter." I replied lightly. Jacob reached into the back seat and grabbed an enormous sweater and handed it to me. It was a simple black pullover, but it smelled amazing. I couldn't really describe it, but it smelled like the forest. Like trees. But it also smelled like home. "Thanks Jake." I whispered as I took off my jacket and pulled it on over my head. I warmed up almost instantly.

The ride home was filled with idle chitchat about the night, but it was just as comfortable as the drive down (excluding the short conversation about Bella). I found myself wishing that I lived farther away as we pulled into my driveway. I frowned as Jacob parked behind my little Hyundai and turned off the car. More than anything, I just wanted to curl up in his sweater and go to sleep. Preferably somewhere that he would be close by.

I sighed and began to pull the sweater off, but he stopped me. "Keep it. I don't need it. I'm never cold." I raised an eyebrow at him, but pulled the sweater back down.

"Never? That's not possible."

"Seriously, I could stand out in a snowstorm and the snow would just melt around me." I laughed at that, but didn't argue anymore.

"Thank you, again." I merely said as I reached into the backseat for my bag. "I really, really did have a good time tonight." I added as I put my hand on the door handle.

Jacob smiled at me in a shy sort of way, which was a little weird as I didn't peg him as a shy guy. "I'm glad you had a good time. I did too. I really... I really like being with you, Cassie." I felt my face heat up, and smiled at him. "I was wondering, if you wanted to go... to go to Port Angeles with me on Saturday? We can go see a movie and get something to eat."

A date. That's what he wanted. To go on a date. With me. On Saturday. _Holy fucking hell, what do I say? When was the last time I was on a date? Did Wilder and I actually even go on a date? Oh Jesus am I even ready for this? What am I going to say? I have to say something, he's staring at me, he's waiting for my answer. Okay. Okay, just stay calm. Think about this. Jacob is the sweetest person I've ever met, no doubt about that. He's also gorgeous, and I don't think about Wilder like I do when he's not around. When he's around, I can let go of Wilder. I think of him, sure, but not as a boyfriend anymore. Just as someone I lost, a long time ago. He makes me feel good about myself, like maybe I'm not so much of a lost cause __as I thought I was. He's good for me. He really is. Maybe he's the one that can help me put myself back together, once and for all. Wilder's not coming back, and why not move on? Especially with Jacob. Moving on with Jacob is the best thing I could do for myself. _

"I would love to, Jake."

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><p><strong>Review guys and tell me what you think! Constructive criticism is always welcomed, and if there's spellinggrammar mistakes, just tell me and I'd be happy to fix them! Love you all! **


	8. Life Lessons

**Another update! I'm pretty pumped too! That's the second one this weekend! Woohoo! Please review guys, and then maybe the updates will keep coming! **

**By the way, anyone else read the Hunger Games? I've read the series twice, and then I went to see the movie opening night! It was the best movie I've ever seen, hands down. I seriously recommend the series and the movie! It rocks! I'm contemplating writing a story for Gale, because I love him, and I hate him, and Katniss and Peeta are meant to be together! Anyways, enough of this. Enjoy the chapter, and please review to tell me what you thought! **

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><p><span>Chapter Eight: Life Lessons<span>

_Now I'm climbing the walls,  
><em>_but you don't notice at all,  
><em>_that I'm going out of my mind,  
><em>_all day and all night._

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><p>It was only the thought of tomorrow, of Saturday, that had me waking up and getting ready for school as normally as possible. Tomorrow I would be going to Port Angeles with Jacob. It would be a fantastic way to keep my mind off all of the shit that had been happening at school lately. The fact that I had no friends left had finally sunk in, I guess.<p>

Mum was sitting at the table when I dragged my ass down the stairs, sipping on her coffee and reading the newspaper. This was such a normal thing that it had me stopped for a second, just staring. Could normal things still happen? Could mum seriously just sit there and read her newspaper like she did every morning when my world had crashed down around me?

She looked up at me and frowned. "What's wrong hon?"

_What's wrong? What isn't wrong? Everything is wrong. The only good part of my life is Jacob, and I don't even know how I feel about him. I don't know if I want to be in a relationship with someone, no matter how perfect they are. I've been abandoned by the only people I thought would always be there for me. _

"I don't even know where to begin." I answered honestly. I tossed my bag to the floor and grabbed the cheerios from the cupboard and poured them into the bowl mum had left out for me. I settled down into the chair across from her and stared into the depths of my cereal. "Life sucks, mum."

She chuckled at me and pushed her dirty-blonde hair out of her eyes. "Come on Cassie, it's not that bad." I knew she was trying to act unfazed, to act like she wasn't concerned. I could tell though, that underneath her words was the anxiety. The anxiety that I would fall back into my depression. That I wouldn't resurface this time.

"Lydia and Ally hate me, and I haven't even spoken to Kirk since... well, since Wilder disappeared." I swirled my spoon around in my cereal. "It's all because of this guy that Dan introduced me to. I told Lydia that I was planning on hanging out with him, getting to know him, maybe even... I don't know, mum. She hates me for it, she thinks I don't care about Wilder anymore, but it's not true!" My voice had raised considerably throughout my explanation until I was shouting. "It's not true, I love Wilder! I will always love Wilder, and she doesn't get it. She doesn't understand that I can't just keep waiting for him to stroll through the door like he used to." The tears had started without me even noticing. They slid down my face silently, and I could see the tears shining in mum's eyes too. "I need to move on, we all do, and she won't let me!"

I laid my head down on my arms, sobs wracking my body. The tears were finally here. I had been waiting, just waiting for them to arrive. I hadn't cried like this since last year. I hadn't thought I would cry like this again. I hadn't wanted to. I wanted this to all stop. I figured by now I would be over it, that Wilder would just be a painful part of my past. Yet he still fills all of my waking thoughts. I can't get him out of my head.

"I don't understand why she wants to me to be miserable. What did I do? She blames me for it, she thinks I should have been able to stop him. She thinks that if I had tried harder, that he would still be here. What could I have done? None of us knew this would happen. Then, when I find some guy that actually makes me happy, she takes it and totally spins it around on me. I'm just trying to be happy again. I want to be over Wilder. I don't want him to dictate my life. I want to be able to find someone else, but I can't because I just keep thinking that I'm betraying him, and Ally, Kirk, and Lydia. I'm betraying them all by seeing Jacob. I don't want to be forced to choose between them, mum, because if it comes to that, I don't know who I would pick."

Mum had moved around to my side of the table, she pulled a chair up and threw her arms around me, stroking my hair. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this sweetheart." She whispers to me. She just lets me cry it out, rocking me back and forth, murmuring to me that everything will be okay. Will it ever be okay though? Will I ever be over him?

"Listen to me, sweetheart." Mum says finally, pulling away from me and lifting my head in her hands. "You need to do what will make you happy. You don't need to make anyone else happy. Lydia, Ally and Kirk be damned, if they are trying to keep you from moving on then they were never very good friends in the first place. You four have all been through a terrible, terrible ordeal, but the best thing for you, for all of you, is to stop lingering on the past. I know how hard that is, but it will be the best thing for you to do. You all need to accept that Wilder is not coming back. It's been over a year baby. He isn't coming back." I sobbed again, knowing that she was right but not wanting to hear it. "I know, I know baby." She whispered again, pulling me in close to her. "It's going to be hard. It's going to be really hard. Trust me when I say that it will be the best thing for you."

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><p>I kept turning over my mum's words in my head as I walked through school, barely registering what was happening in my classes as the day passed by. I spent my lunchtime alone, and was thankful that Lydia and all of her friends had been nowhere near. I had been left relatively alone, I guess the rest of the student body was over it, or thought that I was beneath their notice at any rate. It didn't matter, really, because it was much easier to be ignored than to have everyone hate you.<p>

I was standing outside of my English classroom, waiting for Mr. Mellark to come and open the door. I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings, which by now I should have realized wasn't a good idea. I was just staring down at the yellowing tile of the floor, going over everything that had happened during the past week in my head. I hadn't noticed him walking over until it was too late to bolt.

"Hey sexy, it's been a while."

That voice.

It took me back to places I never wanted to go again. I hadn't heard that voice in nearly a year. Why would he choose now, of all times, to talk to me again? _Lydia finally got to him. He's here to tear me a new one, just like everyone else had. Fuck it, let him say whatever the hell he wants. I have some of my own insults to throw back this time._

I looked up into his big, brown, doe eyes. His brown hair still flopped on his forehead the exact same way I had remembered, though it was longer now. He still wore the silver beaded necklace that Ally and I had made for him on his sixteenth birthday. It was strange, how much had changed between us. He had gone from being my best friend to someone I didn't even know anymore.

"You haven't said that to me in a very, very long time. As I recall, you stopped saying it right around the time Wilder and I started dating."

"Fucking, you mean. You and Wilder were no more than fuck buddies, you should at least have admitted that to yourself by now."

I locked eyes with him, his full of amusement and mine with anger. _How can he say such things? Wilder was his best friend, his _best_ friend, and here he is, insulting me. Insulting his memory. _ "What the hell do you want, Kirk?"

"I was thinking you might throw your arms around me, tell me how much you missed me, how you've secretly loved me all this time instead of that prick you were dating." He smirked at me, and that's when the smell hit me. He was drunk. At school.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I hissed, grabbing his arm and dragging him toward the main doors. "Since when do you get hammered and come to school, huh? I thought you were smarter than that." Kirk laughed, and I found myself calming at the sound. I hadn't heard that laugh in God knows how long.

"Since when did you care, babe? From what I remember, we all used to get either hammered or high before we came to school. Speaking of which, how did you stop? After asshole disappeared it was all I could do. Drink, smoke, shoot up. I mean, that's what he taught us isn't it? What was the use of quitting by then?"

"Stop it." I hissed back, throwing open the doors and dragging him outside and around to the side of the building. "What do you _want_ Kirk?"

"I remember how we all used to come to this exact place..." The pain in his voice was evident, but so was the fury. "This was the first place you got high, remember? I told you it wasn't as bad as everyone said." He let out another barking laugh. "What the fuck was I thinking? Look at where all this shit has got me. I'm flunking out of school, Wilder up and ditched us, probably for some whore who had a good fix for him. You and Lydia are at war, and Ally won't talk to any of us... and me? I barely remember this past year."

I stared at him, uncomprehending. What has gotten into him? Why is he doing this? I shook my head slowly, watching him as he paced in front of me. "Kirk? What is going on? Talk to me."

"For God's sake Cassie, I just miss you. I miss you and I miss Lydia. I especially miss Ally." He ground his teeth together. Ally and Kirk were hardly ever separated before Wilder left. Everyone knew how much Kirk was in love with her. We never did find out if the feelings were mutual. "Wilder fucked everything up, you know. I mean, you're all upset because you met some idiot kid from the reserve, and Lydia thinks you're slutting it up with him and that you've completely forgotten about Wilder. She actually thinks you loved Wilder, that Wilder loved you." He laughed again, though it wasn't humorous this time. "Lydia always was fucking stupid. Wilder never_ loved _ you. He lusted for you, sure, and you did right back. But you guys can't go confusing that with love."

"You're a fucking joke." I snarled. "I did love Wilder, I committed a year of my life -"

"Big fucking deal! A whole goddamn year!" He yelled right back. "You never fucking loved him until he was gone, admit it. You just feel guilty. We all do. We're all guilty that we don't know where he is, if he's alive, why he even left in the first place." He shook his head and turned and drove his fist into the wall above my head. "Fuck, Cassie, you all just need to admit it. The only one that loved him was Ally, and only then because he was her fucking twin. We hate him. We all do, for leaving us, for getting us into this mess in the first place."

"I don't hate him."

"Liar," he whispered into my ear, dropped his forehead to my shoulder. "You're lying to me Cassie. How can you love him when he left us like this? Lydia drinks almost every night. _Every night!" _

I closed my eyes against his accusations as the weight of his head left my shoulder. _He's right,_ some part of me whispered in the back of my head. _You should hate him. You were never serious. You were only in it in the end for the sex, for the drugs. But when he left it all seemed different, it all seemed so much more than that. God I do love him, but I never realized it until he left. I was in love, I just never got to say it._

"I do love him though, Kirk." I whispered. "I hate him, but I can't help loving him. I just never got the chance to tell him, and now it's too late."

Kirk's eyes met mine again, and I watched the anger slowly drain out of his face. "I just wish we had never met him, you know. Everything would have been so much better, so much better. At least you're on the right track though... you're clean, you've found someone else."

"I haven't found someone else, Kirkie."

"The way Lydia tells it, you're practically in love and carrying his child." He grunted. "Though, again, she was always an idiot. I didn't believe her, and I can't believe that everyone here did."

"I'm definitely not in love." I sighed and leaned my head against the wall of the building. "I do like him though, he makes me feel... like me, again. He makes me happy. I don't know if anything will ever come of it, but for now it's nice."

"I bet." Kirk murmured as he leaned against the building opposite of me. "How's Ally?"

"I have no idea. The one time I spoke to her, Lydia had already turned her against me and I yelled at her." Kirk snorted and shook his head.

"You deserve to be happy though, babe. I want us all to be happy, but until we know what happened to jackass, we're never going to be truly happy. Especially Lydia, she won't ever be over it. No matter how indifferent she pretends to be." I nodded in agreement, astounded that we had gone from yelling at each other to this. We were practically having a heart-to-heart. "I miss this."

"Miss what?"

"Talking to you. You were always the best to talk to, because you could always dish it back out to me when I was being a prick." I had to laugh at that, because most of the conversations Kirk and I had ever had began with an argument. "It's a sad truth." The buzzer rang as soon as the words left his mouth, but Kirk didn't make any move to leave. "I hope this guy is a hell of a lot better than Wilder was." He pushed off from the wall and stood in front of me for a moment, just looking at me. "You're the best of us, you're the only one that got clean and stayed clean. I'm proud of you." He enfolded me in a tight embrace, squeezing the life out of me.

We stayed in that position for a tad too long, because the second buzzer, signalling that we should be in class by now, was ringing when we emerged from the embrace. "See you around, sexy." With that part word, Kirk spun around and jogged away from the building.

I stayed for a moment, pondering Kirk's words. He had been right, about everything. Just like my mother had been right this morning. The only thing left for us to do was to move on. It was time to let Wilder go. It was time to embrace the future, a future without Wilder, without drugs, without alcohol. A future where I could, maybe, some day far from now, find someone else to fall in love with.

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><p><strong>So, what did you guys think of Kirk? Sorry Jake wasn't in this chapter, but this was necessary! Please review and tell me if it was shitty or not! Constructive criticism is welcomed! Thanks lovelies! <strong>


	9. The Date

**I would just like to thank everyone who reviewed/messaged me! You guys are all wonderful! Also, I decided to break their date up into two different chapters just because it would have been grossly long if I had kept it to just one. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the new lyrics, which are to "Safe and Sound" by Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars. (I just love that song so bad omg). Also, the restaurant in the chapter is real (I looked one up) but I have never been there so I just made up its appearance and menu. **

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><p><span>Chapter nine: The Date<span>

_I remember tears streaming down your face,  
><em>_when I said, I'll never let you go.  
><em>_When all those shadows almost killed your light,  
><em>_I remember you said, don't leave me here alone.  
><em>_But all that's dead and gone and past tonight._

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><p>Saturday morning I woke up at nine o'clock, an hour and a half before Jacob had said he would pick me up. It took me the first half hour just to pick out what I was going to wear. <em>Jesus, I haven't been this nervous in years.<em> I grumbled to myself as I scooped up my outfit and headed for the bathroom. I closed the door silently behind me, knowing that dad had come in late from work last night and would probably sleep all day.

I jumped into a steaming shower and scrubbed my hair, using the best smelling shampoo available. When I stepped out ten minutes later, my skin was pink and smooth as can be. I dried myself off with my towel quickly and dressed. I had picked out my faded blue skinny jeans, a black tank top and a white tank top to go over it with my cheetah-print cardigan to top it all off.

I applied my make-up around my eyes and brushed on some foundation and blush. I brushed my teeth quickly, forsaking breakfast for becoming beautiful. Once I was relatively satisfied with what my face looked like in the mirror, I unwound my towel from around my head. I huffed at the tangled dark brown and red-streaked mass on my head. I picked up my hairbrush with all of the enthusiasm of picking up a spider.

It took a few minutes to rearrange my hair in an appealing way. It took even longer to blow it dry and straighten it. I surveyed myself in the mirror, casting a critical look over my outfit and hair. _I should change._ I decided, opening the bathroom door and heading back into my bedroom.

It was a good thing I had looked out the window before I started to redress though, because Jacob was getting out of his Volkswagen just as I had started to open my closet. _Oh God. Oh dear God._ I grabbed a black shoulder bag off of my hanging rack and scooped up my keys, wallet, and cellphone off my nightstand. I hurried to my jewellery box and picked out a small silver cross necklace. I hooked it on quickly and gave myself one last cursory glance in the mirror. _It'll have to do. Damn it._

I flew down the stairs as the doorbell rang. I could hear movement in the living room, and I knew one of my parents were awake. _Oh no! _I careened around the corner into the foyer and found dad standing there, looking unimpressed as Jacob's hulking frame took up the open space in the door. _Oh f__or God's sake, why is he awake?_

It was strange to see Jacob standing next to my dad, who usually towered over people. Jacob dwarfed my dad, which I'm sure is why he's not very happy to see him. Dad also looked as though he hadn't had a decent night's sleep. His hair, the same dark brown shade as mine, was tousled and his hazel eyes had bags under them. Jacob, in comparison, looked perfect. Though, that was no different than any other day. He was looking slightly better dressed for the weather than normal, with blue jeans and a white t-shirt.

I also noticed that dad was regarding his tattoo, another thing that dad would probably not care for. _Well, this is getting off to a great start already._ Dad thought tattoos were a very stupid idea, and I was forbidden from getting one until I was moved out. He also didn't appreciate piercings. Come to think of it, dad didn't appreciate most of the things young people did.

"Hey, Jake." I said, a little breathless at my race to the door. "Um, this is my dad, Blake. Dad, this is Jacob Black."

"Billy Black's son," dad said gruffly as he surveyed Jacob. The look on his face plainly stated that he was not impressed that his daughter was going out on a date with him. I wasn't sure if this had something to do with the simple fact that Jacob was a boy, or that he was Billy's son. Dad had, on occasion, spoken of Billy, but it had only been in passing, and it had never been anything to signal that he didn't like him.

"Yes, sir." Jacob said uneasily as he glanced at me. I gave a reassuring smile, that I somehow thought may have come off as a grimace instead. "It's nice to meet you." Dad snorted and then focused his disapproving stare on me.

"Does your mother know?"

"Yes, I told her before I went to bed last night." I replied, somewhat defiant. I never used to tell them when I was leaving, but ever since Wilder had disappeared dad had cracked down on me. I had to get approval if I ever wanted to go anywhere. "You weren't home." I added defensively.

"There will be no repeats of last year, you hear me?" I bristled at his comment. I knew what he meant. No repeats of what happened with Wilder.

"Don't worry," I replied coolly. "I don't plan on it." I locked eyes with dad, but all I could see in his eyes was weariness. I softened a little. "I'll be back after supper, dad." I gave him a quick peck on the cheek and ushered Jacob out.

"You have her back by ten!" Dad hollered out the door after Jacob and I.

"Yes, sir." Jacob replied with a smile over his shoulder at dad as he opened the passenger side door for me. I climbed in, holding my bag out in front of me. When Jacob closed the door behind me, I turned in my seat and set my bag on the back seat. Jacob was already in the front seat and turning the car on by the time I had turned around. I raised an eyebrow at him but didn't comment. _How does he move so fast? Must be those damn long legs._

Jacob threw the Rabbit into reverse and zipped out of the driveway. I clipped on my seat belt and instantly leaned forward to tune the radio. Once I realized that I actually wasn't in my car, I withdrew my hand as though I had been scorched.

"Uh, do you mind if I turn on the radio?" Jacob looked at me with a frown on his face.

"Absolutely not, we're going to drive in silence for an hour and fifteen minutes." I grinned at the sarcasm that dripped from his words and shook my head at him, muttering a "whatever" as I leaned forward again and turned on the radio. I tuned into a slightly-fuzzy station from Port Angeles and leaned back, smiling. It was the kind of music I loved that I knew Jacob didn't appreciate nearly as much.

The tail-end of "Take Care" by Drake and Rihanna was playing. I furrowed my brow, disappointed that I had missed the majority of one of my favourite songs. You can imagine how surprised I was when Jacob started to sing along to the radio in a soft voice. I looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Since when do you listen to music like this?" I asked him, the surprise evident in my voice. Jacob stopped singing abruptly and glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. I noticed a blush creeping up his neck, which only perplexed me more.

"I guess when you mentioned that you liked it. I just started listening to stations like this." He was stubbornly avoiding my gaze now, though I'm almost grateful he wouldn't look at me, because I'm sure my jaw was hanging to the floor.

"Just... just because I like it?" I questioned as "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber warbled out of the speakers. _Huh? _I had absolutely no idea how to react to this. Nobody had ever taken _that_ much of an interest in me. I knew on instinct what Wilder would have said _run, run for the hills! You've got a stalker! _The thought brought a smile to my lips, and I immediately felt bad. Here I am, smiling at my memories of another boy when I'm on a date with someone else. _I really am fucked._

"Yeah, I just... I don't know, I didn't even really think about it. I just started doing it."

"Oh," I murmured, averting my eyes to the grey dash. _What am I doing? Why am I here? Why am I leading him on? How many times do I have to ask myself this before I figure out that I need to just leave Jacob alone? _I closed my eyes for a minute, letting the music flow over me. _I need Jacob. That's why I'm here. He's like my own personal sunshine._

"That's totally weird, isn't it?" He asked, worry lacing his words.

I dragged my eyes from the dash and looked at Jacob. "Yes, it is. But the world would be a pretty boring place without all of the weird people." I grinned at him. "Don't worry about it, Jake. I think it's sweet." The relief on Jacob's face was immediate. It made me smile even wider.

"Alright, that's good." I laughed at him and turned the music up. I started bobbing to the beat, mouthing the words. Before long, both Jacob and I were singing out hearts out to the words and laughing at each other. The awkward moment had passed.

I found myself enjoying the drive more than I ever figured I would. I hadn't had this much fun on a road-trip since I last went with Lydia and Ally to Port Angeles to buy our junior prom dresses. I couldn't remember a time that I had laughed so hard as that day, but today was certainly catching up.

The drive didn't take as long as I imagined it would have, or rather, the time flew by as Jacob and I sang along to the radio and made fun of each others singing. Though, truth be told, I had enjoyed every second that he sang. It was such a wonderful feeling to be so comfortable with someone that you could easily make a fool of yourself and not give a damn. It made me miss having friends even more.

We left the highway and took to the streets of the city, Jacob told me he knew exactly where we were going to go for lunch, then we could do whatever I wanted until we went for supper and then went to our movie. He didn't seem to know his way around the city too well and we had to backtrack a few times, but I didn't mind. As long as I was with Jacob I really didn't think I would care if we drove to Mexico.

"Aha! I know where we are now, it's just down here." He seemed very pleased with himself at finally finding a familiar place. I congratulated him, a tad sarcastically, and laughed. I watched as the quaint stores flashed by the window, taking note of the ones I wanted to visit after lunch. Jacob turned into a small parking lot and parked the car in the first available spot he saw. I looked up at the little restaurant, called Cafe Garden.

Jacob looked over at me, as if trying to gauge my reaction to the place he had chosen. "Have you ever eaten here?"

"No, I don't think so. It's cute though." I grinned at him and unbuckled my seat belt. "Come on, I'm starving. I didn't eat breakfast." Jacob looked horrified.

"You didn't _eat_? Why didn't you tell me? We could have stopped somewhere!" I laughed at his reaction and opened my door.

"It doesn't matter, we're here now, aren't we?" I grinned at him and climbed out of the small car before I realized I had forgotten my bag. I leaned back in and grabbed it, resurfacing to see Jacob staring at me. I raised my eyebrows and I could see the blush racing up his neck again. I couldn't help but grin at him. _How long has it been since someone has actually checked me out?_ I laughed out loud, knowing how ridiculous it was to be happy someone was staring at my ass. _Nobody in Forks ever checked me out after Wilder claimed me. Even after he left, they didn't bother with me. Too broken, I'm sure. _

"Come on, let's go in." I rounded the car and bumped into Jacob's shoulder. "Try and restrain yourself from watching my ass the whole time we walk over there though, okay?"

Jacob grinned, "I can't help myself." That, I wasn't expecting. I laughed again, feeling quite giddy already, and it was only noontime. Jacob grabbed my hand and led me up to the door of the restaurant. I looked down at our encircled hands and I smiled, a slight, sad smile. I didn't want him to ever let go of me. But at the same time, I couldn't help but remember holding Wilder's hand. Wondering, if he really was dead like most of the people in Forks believed, if he would have wanted this for me. If he would have wanted me to find someone else that made me happy, happier than he ever had. _He wouldn't have_. The dark thought pressed into my mind and the smile vanished from my face. _He was too possessive for that._

I determinedly pushed all thoughts of Wilder from my mind. _Who cares? He's long gone, alive or dead, so I obviously didn't mean that much to him. It's just like what Kirk said._ Jacob dropped my hand to push the door open and held it for me, I grinned at him and stepped into the brightly-lit cafe. Jacob and I approached the hostess, who was looking at something logged into a book with a frown on her pretty face.

When she looked up at us, her face broke into a huge, and probably fake, smile. "Hello, welcome to Cafe Garden. A table for two?" Jacob nodded his head, and his hand found mine again. "Excellent, follow me please." Jacob followed the hostess to a small table at the back of the restaurant right next to a big window, tugging me along as I held onto his warm hand. She set the menus down and informed us that our server would be over shortly, then she departed.

I sat down and Jacob sat across from me. I regretfully slipped my hand from his and opened my menu. I was looking at the wraps, all of which looked absolutely delicious, when Jacob spoke up.

"Let's play twenty questions." I snorted, not lifting my gaze from a grilled chicken panini that looked absolutely delightful.

"I haven't played that since I was about eleven."

"So? It's a good way to get to know someone." I finally looked up him. "Or are you just too chicken?" He teased, eyes lingering on mine before he dropped his to his menu. _Chicken?_ I scoffed. _Hardly. _

"Fine. You have to start then." Jacob laughed, and I got the feeling that it had been his intention to start anyway. He surveyed his menu for a moment longer before he laid it down on the table and grinned at me.

"What's your favourite color?"

"Yellow," I answered immediately. I pondered the wrap section some more, trying to think of a question to ask. "Why are you always so warm?"

Jacob looked completely taken aback by my question, totally unprepared to answer it. "Uh, well I was told it's because my heart beats faster than normal, which makes my circulation better than most peoples."

"Oh," it was my turn to be taken aback. I hadn't thought there would actually be a medical reason for it. "It's not dangerous is it?"

Jacob laughed, "your turn is over, but no, it's not dangerous." He looked slightly troubled for a minute, as if he was rethinking his answer, but he shook it off. "What is your full name?"

I shook my head, smiling, "Cassidy Amelia Reid." He was asking all of the cute questions. "Do you play any sports?"

"I play football with the boys," he grinned wolfishly. "I don't play with the other reserve kids though, they couldn't handle me." I laughed out loud at that one.

"Sure they couldn't, you cocky bastard." I noticed the a waitress heading toward our table and quickly scanned the menu once again, making sure there wasn't something even yummier than the Thai chicken wrap. Not spying anything, I closed it and set it down by the edge of the table just as the waitress arrived. She was a tiny little thing, with her blonde hair pulled up in a ponytail. She smiled brightly, though mostly at Jacob, I noticed with a pang of jealousy.

"Hi, my name is Janelle. I'll be your server tonight, what can I get you?" She looked at Jacob the whole time she said this, I noticed with a roll of my eyes. _Of course, other girls _would_ have to notice that he's practically a god. Fuck them. _I locked eyes with Jacob, who hadn't even spared the girl a glance. I noticed her looking at him expectantly, but he was waiting for me.

"I'll have the Thai chicken wrap with french fries, and a pepsi." I grinned up at her, taking her to be the "salad and water" type. She looked at me for half a second before a smile forced its way onto her face and she scribbled down what I had ordered.

"Of course," she turned away from me again and smiled brightly at Jacob. "What can I get you?"

"I'll have the steak and potatoes, jumbo sized." Jacob said as he laid his menu down on top of mine. He looked up at the waitress, almost as if he was wondering why she was still standing there. "Oh, and I'll have a water to go with that." He turned away from her and looked at me, blatantly ignoring the waitress' stammers. She seemed to notice her dismissal, and I smiled at her as she dejectedly scooped up the menus and disappeared.

"Do girls always act like that around you?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him.

"I believe it's my turn to ask the questions." He grinned at me, and laid his left hand on the table, halfway between us. "What's your favourite junk food?"

"Ice cream," I answered immediately. "Or... wait, maybe Mars bars. Oh! Or dill pickle chips." I could feel myself starting to drool at the thoughts of my favourite foods. "Ugh, don't get me started, seriously, junk food is my favourite thing ever." Jacob's grin widened into a smile, and I couldn't help but think that he never seemed to be without a smirk or grin. It was a nice change.

"Ha, you're crazy. I say popcorn all the way." I nodded in agreement.

"Popcorn definitely has its merits." I considered Jacob for a moment, taking in his high cheekbones, his beautiful eyes, gorgeous skin. "What do you want to do after high school, you know, for a career?"

Jacob seemed to be waging some kind of war in his head as he considered this question. "A mechanic," he finally answered. "I want to have my own garage and work on cars and do whatever the fuck I want." I couldn't help but chuckle at this. It suited him, to a tee, really. He looked like the mechanic sort, especially if he had rebuilt the little Rabbit. _It works good too, _I had to admit.

"I can definitely see you doing that."

"Alright, let me think of a really good one for you." He pondered it for a moment. "Tell me about your best friend; Lydia, right?" I froze, the smile falling from my face. _Why, why do you want to know about _her?

"We aren't exactly friends anymore." I replied stiffly, avoiding eye-contact with him. "She won't speak to me, not that I've exactly tried to talk to her either." I sighed and looked into Jacob's eyes, full of concern, of remorse for asking the question. "She was great though, she's funny and always knew exactly what I needed to be cheered up." I ground my teeth, "but she also knows exactly what it takes to unhinge me, which she has been trying to do for the past week."

"Why?" He whispered, the sorrow on his face so real and powerful, I actually felt taken aback. He really did feel for me, he was sympathizing with me. _I don't need sympathy!_ I flicked my eyes around the restaurant, trying to find something safe to alight my eyes on. _Who am I kidding? I do need sympathy. I need someone's shoulder to cry on. I need Jacob's shoulder._

"She's quite mad that I decided I wanted to hang out with you and get to know you. She feels betrayed, I suppose."

Jacob looked positively bewildered. "Why would she feel betrayed?"

"Uh... it's my turn to ask a question, isn't it?" I faked a smile at him, and without really thinking, spewed out the first question that came to mind. "Have you ever been heartbroken?"

The shock, the hurt, the horror, on Jacob's face was enough to make me want to revoke my question. It was just opening my mouth to take it back, say it was none of my business, when he replied. "Yes, I have been heartbroken. I thought I was never going to recover, I thought I would be miserable for my whole life. I never thought I would love ever again."

"What changed your mind?" I whispered, concern and anger at the bitch who had hurt my sunshine so badly. If I ever met her, I would probably do what I wanted to do to Wilder the second I saw him. I would rip out her heart.

Jacob's eyes met mine again, and I felt the familiar swooping sensation, the familiar tug at my heart. Then he uttered three words that I don't think I will ever forget, no matter how old I became. "I met you."

It was like the breath had been knocked out of me, like someone was squeezing my heart. It wasn't painful, it was just so surprising, so touching, so... _romantic_. I had no idea what to say. So I just sat there and stared at him, stared as if he were the most wonderful thing I had ever laid eyes on. _Which is true_, I told myself, _he _is _the most wonderful thing to have ever happened to me._

"Who was she?" I found myself asking, totally disregarding his previous statement. I felt like a tool, but I had no idea what to say. No way to formulate the thoughts that were so jumbled up in my head that I had a hard time sorting them out for myself, let alone a boy.

"It's my turn," Jacob said simply. "Tell me about Wilder."

There it was again. The wind knocked out of me. Though this time it was not a good feeling, it was a bad one. A bad, bad, bad feeling. _How... how does he know about Wilder? Why would he say that? _"How... I mean, what makes you think I even knew a Wilder?"

"My dad is best friends with a cop, Cassie." He said, looking at me, the smile gone from his face. In its place was curiosity. "I mentioned you to my dad, and he told me."

I sucked in a deep breath, my mind racing at the speed of light. What should I say? Say that I loved him, that I still am in love with him? That he was single best and worst thing to ever happen to me? That he ruined and completed my life? What do I say to someone who didn't know him, knew him only as the boy who ran away?

"I... I honestly, don't know where to begin with him." I whispered, feeling exceedingly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation had gone in. The fact that we were out in public really asserted itself at this moment. "I would prefer to talk about it in private, actually."

"I'm alright with that, when we're done here you can tell me, and I'll tell you about Bella." I locked eyes with him, _Bella?_ _Is that the girl who broke his heart?_ I felt the anger pulse back, tenfold. _Of course the little slut was, you know how many boys at school she's left broken in her blaze to Edward. I'll kill her. _

"Wait, what makes you think I even _want_ to tell you?" I snapped, once the meaning of his entire sentence permeated the fog that was my brain. My anger at Bella translating into my words. _Why is it that I can never think straight around him?_

Jacob looked at me, his face unchanging, though in his eyes I could see it. The anger, jealousy, hurt. "You don't have to Cassidy, but you need to realize that I'm not going to hurt you. I will never do anything to hurt you. I want you to be able to trust me."

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><p><strong><span>Review<span> please guys! The next chapter will be up shortly! Thanks for reading.**

**Note: Jacob said that he was warm because his heart beat faster than normal, which is true. A wolf's heart does beat faster than a humans, which keeps their body temperature up. **


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